Lead Us Not Into Temptation
by smithsbabe65
Summary: Jalex AU fic. In the 1950's Justin Russo is a Catholic priest having a torrid affair with one of his parishoners, Mrs. Alexandra Grayback. He will soon have to choose between his faith and the woman he loves. Non-incest Jalex and no magic.
1. Chapter 1

**Lead Us Not Into Temptation**

_A/N: _Well, since I've been having a blast writing Jalex, I thought I'd try another fic. This is story is very different in tone and setting from "Justin & Alex".

This is a _very_ AU two-shot that was slightly inspired by "The Thorn Birds" and my own dogmatic Catholic background. It is the tale of a young parish priest named Father Russo and the secret desire he harbors for the widowed and very beautiful, Mrs. Alexandra Grayback, who is one of his parishioners.

Alex and Justin are not related in this story. And there will be no mention of magic or anything else that's supernatural. Lastly, the story takes place in the 1950's. Why? Because I wanted to try my hand at writing a period piece.

_Fun Fact_: By the way, St. Joseph's is a real church situated in the heart of Tribeca. It sits on Sixth Avenue between Washington and Waverly Place.

_Warnings: _Graphic descriptions of coitus and _in flagrante delicto. _Also depictions of a man of the cloth engaging in such acts. If you are overly religious and are offended by the topic, please stop reading this now.

_Disclaimer_: I don't own WoWP or its characters. Also, I don't own the plot or any of the ideas presented in Colleen McCullough's novel, "The Thorn Birds".

**Chapter One**

_April 19, 1959- St. Joseph's Roman Catholic Church 2:30 PM_

_"Bless me father, for I have sinned..."_

The Saturday afternoon confessions were well underway for the God-fearing parishioners of Father Justin Russo's flock. With attentive interest he listened to the hushed tones of those lost souls seeking absolution for their sins before they attended Sunday Mass the next morning. And he, through the power vested in him by the Holy Mother Church, would grant the faithful congregants of his parish forgiveness for their transgressions as long as they met the conditions of their penance, of course.

A _Hail Mary _here, a couple of_ Our Father's _there and _presto- chango, _the slate was clean and good as new.

Earlier in the day, the young Jesuit had already heard the penitent confessions of the blue-haired set from Wednesday Night Bingo. These were the sweet grandmotherly types that constantly brought him homemade treats along with their timid admissions of telling white lies or cheating on a game of bridge or two. None these of ladies had really committed any major offenses against God or His Holy Church as far as Father Russo could tell. But he would still listen to their acts of contrition with infinite patience and understanding.

Shortly after one, the teeny-bopper crowd came in for their weekly absolution as well. This was the same gaggle of tittering of teenaged girls who every Sunday came in droves wearing their voluminous poodle skirts, with their plump lips painted red to sit front and center where they would moon over him as if he were Tony Curtis. Apparently, they were all enamored of him and his so-called matinee idol looks, much to the pious man's discomfort.

While he found their unsolicited attention at times to be flattering, Father Russo had to keep reminding himself that he was a man of God who could not entertain the notion of earthly pleasures, no matter how enticing they appeared to be.

Of course there were was always an exception to every golden rule, even this one. Father Russo found that out the hard way on the day he had hired a certain dark-eyed girl to be the parish secretary nearly three years ago. He should have been on his guard that day or perhaps the Holy Spirit should have better shielded his heart from the lust that began to germinate deep within him from the moment he laid eyes upon her face.

As one of the youngest priests in the Archdiocese of New York, he had already been warned by the church elders not to be swayed by the trappings of secular life. Things such as wine, women and song would only succeed in distracting him from his ecclesiastical mission and eventually condemn his soul to eternal damnation.

"Satan comes in many guises, my son," Archbishop Laritate had advised him on the very day he was appointed to St. Joseph's parish. "Always be vigilant and do not allow yourself to be lead astray by the Devil's trickery."

As the youthful rector recalled that day, he bitterly thought, _the Archbishop has no idea just how right he was about that, except for one little detail...Satan is NOT a man, not even close. _

But how could anyone have known that the good Shepard would find a black sheep amongst his flock- one that would systematically seduce him away from his godly duties? As a priest well versed in Holy Scripture, he should have seen the signs. Instead he allowed himself to be ensnared by the very thing he had vowed to repel from the moment he was ordained into the priesthood. And yet despite his every effort to turn away from evil, Father Russo was a man conflicted by the burden of guilt that weighed heavily upon his heart.

His loyalties were being called into question everyday and it was silently tearing him apart. On the one hand he lived to serve the Church and hoped to rise from within in its ranks. Still young and ambitious, he vied for a place at the Vatican as one of its cardinals one day.

Yet, precariously balanced on the other hand was his forbidden love for a raven-haired beauty with an angel's face and a body built for sin. He had fallen from grace many times over since the day she walked into his church and turned his life upside down.

_Alexandra- _her name alone evoked and awakened passions in Father Russo that he believed were long purged from his body. And as much as he tried to deny the truth, he loved the young war widow with every fiber of his being, just as much as he loved the Church. Perhaps he loved her more so - God help him.

But if he learned anything from the Bible's Holy Gospel it was this:

_No one can serve two masters. Either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and Money. __-_Matthew 6:24

Of course St. Matthew, the Apostle was talking about the money changers of his time. But taken out of context, the same verse could be applied to Father Russo' current situation. His tortured heart told him that he couldn't continue to divide his devotion. He had to choose. It was either going to be the woman that had captured his heart or his faith in God that would finally win dominion over his very soul.

Father Russo shuddered to even think on such matters now, so he offered up a _mea culpa _and soldiered on through the rest of the confessions as quickly as he could so that he could spend the rest of day preparing tomorrow's homily.

OOO

_April 19, 1959- St. Joseph's Roman Catholic Church 4:55 PM_

Father Russo had just finished listening to what he thought would be the last confession of the day. As his right hand traced out the Sign of the Cross he offered his concluding benediction.

"God the Father of mercies, through the death and resurrection of his Son has reconciled the world to himself and sent the Holy Spirit among us for the forgiveness of sins; through the ministry of the Church may God give you pardon and peace, and I absolve you from your sins in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit."

He followed that up with a stern command "to sin no more" after giving the unknown transgressor a stiff penalty of saying five _Hail Mary's._

When Father Russo was certain that the penitent had departed from his midst, he said of prayer of thanks. After turning off the overhead light, the Jesuit carefully parted the bright crimson curtain that concealed him inside the confessional booth to peer out at the church's interior. To his relief the pews appeared empty as did the spaces reserved for lighting the votive candles.

_Thank the Lord. My work here is done_, Father Russo mentally acknowledged as his thoughts turned to other pressing matters needing his attention.

Emitting a tired groan, he raised himself up from the padded kneeler. But as he began to exit the small dark compartment, a sultry feminine voice suddenly filtered through the lattice screen behind him, halting his steps.

_"Bless me father for I have sinned...it's been six weeks since my last confession and here are my sins."_

He knew that voice. How could he not? Its tone and inflection were unmistakable. Just hearing her raspy whisper caused his male organ to stiffen and stir beneath his priestly vestments. Alarmed by his body's treacherous reaction to her siren's call, Father Russo closed his eyes and began to pray.

_Oh no, it's her! It's Alexandra. And here I thought that I would be spared from this torment. I know I need to shun her. But while my spirit is willing ...my flesh is too weak to resist her. Please Lord...help me, deliver me from this evil so that I may not fall into temptation again._

OOO

When she received no answer to her plea for Divine Mercy, Alexandra Grayback became worried.

"Father Russo? Are you still there?" she hurriedly called out.

After a few beats she finally heard the clergyman's croaked-out reply from the other side of the grid, "Y-yes, my child? Do you w-w-wish to offer your c-confession?"

Reassured that she now had a captive audience, Alexandra smirked evilly as she cheekily replied, "You bet your sweet ass I do!"

"_Alexandra!" _a shocked Father Russo all but shrieked. "This is God's house, not some brothel or that dive bar you love to frequent. Please do try to remember that."

"My, aren't we touchy today? So what's got your Rosary beads all in a twist, _Padre_?" she sardonically inquired with a loud snort.

Panicked by her uncouth behavior and the raunchiness of her words, Father Russo roughly closed the curtain, before kneeling back down.

"As if you didn't know? You know_ exactly _why I'm upset. And for Pete's sake, would you keep your voice down?" he angrily whispered into the partition separating him from the unrepentant woman on the other side.

"Why?" Alexandra, always the eternal rebel, fired back defiantly. "Why should I be quiet? You afraid someone might find out what a little _hypocrite_ you are? It's too late for that,_ Justin_- God already knows!"

Angered by the hidden truth behind her impudent words, the embattled priest suddenly slapped the palms of his hands on the screen in front of him. "You're in danger of _blaspheming_, so you mind your tone, _Mrs. Grayback._ And how _dare_ you address me by my Christian name while I wear these robes?"

Unfazed by the display of Father Russo's volatile temper, the dark-haired temptress huskily suggested, "Well then, let's get you out of them so I can call you _anything_ I want, like poindexter or better yet..._lover_."

Appalled yet slightly aroused by her forwardness and the outward disregard of proper churchly decorum, he murmured hopelessly, "You are _shameless_, woman!"

"I know...but you love me anyway, right?"

While he may have felt mortified by his answer, Father Russo uttered it anyway, "Yes, you know I do."

"Good!" Alexandra said with a hungry smile. "Now, why don't you meet me in the sacristy in five minutes so you can lecture me properly on just how 'shameless' I am."

OOO

_Three Years Earlier... _

Before she came to work at St. Joseph's as the rectory secretary where she ultimately became Father Justin Russo's own personal Jezebel, Alexandra Grayback had been happily married to Officer Mason Grayback, a British RAF wing commander on loan to the U.S. Air Force. She had just turned seventeen when they met at a USO dance. Charmed by his English accent and dry wit, she agreed to marry him just three months later, right before he was scheduled to ship off to fly in the 581st Air Resupply Group over Korean airspace.

Sadly, the young bride would never see her dashing young airman again. Mason's plane was shot down 4 weeks into his tour of duty on January 12, 1953 by enemy fire while delivering supplies to Suwon, a large city nestled in the southwestern section of the Korean peninsula. A rain of bullets had taken her husband's life and with it all hopes of a happy future together.

Left alone to make her way in the world, Alexandra had no family or friends to speak of, well except for Harper Beakerman, her best girlfriend since grade school. Thank goodness that Harper and her husband, Zeke had taken Alexandra in when her own husband didn't come back from the war. If it wasn't for them, Alexandra would have been on the street after Mason's Army pension ran out just six short months after his death. Sadly, it had taken three long years of grieving over the loss of Mason before the young widow had decided that it was high time to get a job.

Even though she was a lovable sloth, by her own admission, Alexandra could no longer stand being a burden on her friends. Besides there were only so many issues of _Good Housekeeping _magazine she could lazily skim through before being utterly bored out of her mind. Of course there was always her painting, her true passion. But her art was a difficult (not to mention expensive) hobby to keep. Especially when Zeke's meager earnings were already being stretched to its limits to feed and house three people instead of two.

At first, when Harper learned of her friend's plan, she wouldn't hear of it, insisting that what Alexandra was doing around the house was sufficient to earn her keep. But deep down inside both women knew that Alexandra was inherently lazy which made her a terrible housekeeper, an even worse cook and a piss-poor laundress.

Truthfully speaking, it didn't take much to convince the cheerful redhead that her best friend was probably better suited to work outside the home.

However, getting a job was easier said than done. Unfortunately, since she married straight out of high school, Alexandra had gained no real skills to earn a decent living. Not that she needed to at the time, since her only aspirations had been to be a wife and mother. But now at the ripe-old age of twenty, her fortunes had changed, leaving her no other options. It was either work or starve.

For weeks now she had scoured the classifieds and every inch of the city looking for a job that would pay a fair wage. Nothing fancy, just enough to help Harper and Zeke out with the household expenses and hopefully save up for her own place one day. But everywhere she went she was turned down flat because she was either "too young" or "too pretty".

Even when she applied for the waitress' position at that greasy spoon known as the Waverly Diner, she was told by Hank Russo, the owner, "Sorry, doll-face. But I can't have a cream-puff like you distractin' the help. Besides, the missus would wring my neck if I hire you. She'd be worried that I'd put the moves on ya. Not that I would or anything."

"That's okay, I understand," Alexandra said sadly as she started to walk away.

Suddenly feeling sorry for the girl, Hank stopped her from going when he yelled out, "Wait!"

Turning back around the young widow smiled as she asked brightly, " Did you change your mind?"

"Not exactly. But I think I know somebody that might hire you. It doesn't pay much. But the hours are good and the people are nice."

"What's the job? You know what, don't tell me. I don't care, 'cause I'll take _anything_ at this point," Alexandra giddily told Mr. Russo.

"Wait a minute, cool your jets, girly. I have to ask you somethin' first," Hank pointedly said as he crossed his arms in front his clean white apron.

"What is it?"

"Are you a good Catholic?"

With a devilish little grin that made women want to hide their babies while grown men trembled, Alexandra replied, "Define 'good'..."

OOO

The very next day, at eight o'clock sharp, Mrs. Alexandra Grayback found herself knocking on the massive mahogany door of St. Joseph's rectory. Wanting to make a good first impression, she had decided that morning to wear her best charcoal-colored pencil skirt and matching tailored jacket. The latter garment was slipped on over a crisp white cotton blouse with tiny pearl buttons down the front of it.

Harper had even let her borrow a new pair of smart looking patent leather pumps that gave the petite brunette some height. But the tight closed-toe shoes made her feet hurt like the dickens, especially since she had to walk nearly ten city blocks just to get here. She would have taken the subway, but right now she didn't have two nickels to rub together to buy her a token.

As she impatiently waited for someone to open the door, Alexandra nervously fiddled with the black velvet beret adorning the top of her head. Before she left the Beakerman's tiny apartment, she had performed a quick inspection of her ensemble in the cracked mirror by the hall and thought she didn't look half-bad. The whimsical_ chapeau _appeared to go well with the soft, curly style of her hair.

However, faced with the cold hard discernment of exactly where she was standing, the young war widow began to second guess her choice.

_Maybe I should have worn the pillbox hat instead..._

However, Alexandra quickly dismissed the afterthought when she came to the realization that she'd been made to wait for God knows how long. Feeling agitated and bored out of her skull, Alexandra began to hum a few bars of Elvis Presley's Heartbreak Hotel to pass the time, when the door was abruptly swung open from the other side.

And that's when she got her first glimpse of her potential employer. Standing in the doorway was the most beautiful man she had ever seen in her life. As her eyes drank in the handsome visage, she took into account the thick head of jet black hair that was neatly combed with a healthy dose of _Vitalis_ hair tonic and then parted to one side.

Next, she couldn't help but notice the set of brilliant gray-green eyes that curiously stared back at her. She had never seen eyes that color before, which reminded her of the vast fathomless waters of the North Atlantic. Nevertheless, Alexandra was immediately entranced by them.

The rest of his features were just as striking- there was the prominent patrician nose and the slightly swarthy complexion that hinted of a Mediterranean ancestry, mostly likely Italian in origin. Meanwhile, his strong jaw line and thin mouth asserted his inherent masculinity which spoke directly to Alexandra's primal female urges.

She wanted him in that instant. That much she knew. And Lord only knows she'd had one hell of a dry spell lately and was due some serious relief. Widowhood was a lonely place that made her long for companionship and a warm body to cling to at night.

OOO

While her deceased husband was by no means a Casanova, he had been sweet and considerate of her needs, especially that first time when he took her innocence. They had just started exploring their sexual potential as a married couple when their time was cut short by Mason's untimely death.

Yet, after she observed the proper grieving period, Alexandra discovered that she was still a woman with wants and needs. Thankfully, once she was ready to venture out into the dating world again, she never lacked for male company. She'd had countless of movie dates, invitations to dinner and even the occasional romantic stroll through Central Park. But out of all of the suitors that vied for her affections, only two other men, besides her husband, had shared her bed.

Looking back she remembered that both encounters had been brief and most importantly discrete. After all she was widowed woman now and unlike a divorcee, she still had to guard her good reputation. Not that she gave a fig what people thought of her, she was mostly concerned for the good people that had taken her in. The last thing Mr. and Mrs. Zeke Beakerman needed was a so-called "loose" woman under their roof.

The first contender she had deemed worthy to sample "the goods" had been that brainless twit Riley. Alexandra had met the broad-shouldered ex-jock purely by accident when they had both reached for the same carton of chocolate milk at the local A & P . Initially impressed by his height and athletic good looks, she gave him a go. But after a couple of dates the guy turned out to be a real dullard who had absolutely no clue on how to please a woman even if his life depended on it. So she did what any sensible woman would do - she dropped him like a hot potato before he could make her swear off the male gender altogether.

Not willing to give up just yet, Alexandra gave herself some time to put that disaterous encounter behind her before trying again. Her second attempt at carnal satisfaction came in the form of a cocky grease-monkey named Dean Moriarty. Dean happened to own the garage right around the corner from the Beakerman's apartment building. Once again their meeting was a happenstance of convenient proximity. Right from the start, his blue-collar charm with its extra helping of Marlon Brando-esque swagger had quickly worked its magic on the young woman . And when she found out that he actually_ drove _the motorcycle that went with all that tough-guy bravado, she was just dying to screw him.

However, when they finally tumbled into bed together late one night in his shabby apartment above his garage, Alexandra quickly learned the meaning of bitter disappointment. Rough and impatient, he'd used his dirty calloused hands all over her nubile body like a pair of wrenches. Adding insult to injury, the uncouth car mechanic had lasted all of three minutes in the sack.

Left terribly unsatisfied and still wanting, Alexandra resolved _never_ to subject herself to anything remotely resembling those two horrendous experiences ever again. By God, the next time she spread her legs it wouldn't be for just anyone. The guy had to be more than special, for one thing. But most importantly, Alexandra wanted to do the seducing and call the shots.

The repressive society of the mid-1950's might have been scandalized over something so unheard of. Yet as far as Alexandra Grayback was concerned, it was pretty progressive thinking on her part.

OOO

And now as she set her sights on the sexiest man she had seen in a long, long while, she'd already made up her mind to use her feminine wiles to have her wicked way with him. But just as she was about to put the whammy on the tall, dark stranger with a bewitching smile, she suddenly saw something that stopped her cold. There peaking out from the neckline of the black cotton button up shirt he was currently wearing was a little square of white that alerted the would-be seductress of his true vocation.

_That's a clerical collar! Holy Mackerel, this dreamboat is a fucking priest?_

Alex was indeed bowled over by the unexpected development. Yesterday, when Hank had informed her of his distant relative, Father Russo, she had imagined a saintly looking older gentleman that smelled of both sacramental wine and pungent incense, not the hunk of Grade-A prime beef standing before her now. Needless to say she was slightly taken aback, but by no means deterred. Priest or not, she was still aimed to have him. It was just going to be more of a challenge to get her way. But that was A-OK in her book since she's _never_ backed away from a challenge in her life.

And so it was after that first initial meeting between sinner and saint that Alexandra Grayback began her single-minded campaign to corrupt the young parish priest and claim him for her very own.

However, the conquest had not been an easy one considering Father Russo's deeply rooted faith in Roman Catholic doctrine and the codes of canon law he had sworn to uphold above all else. She had had her work cut out for her that was for certain.

It took a burdensome six months and the better part of her meager salary to supplement her wardrobe with low cut silk blouses, tight sweaters and curve-hugging dresses (that nearly cut off her circulation) to even get the do-gooder cleric to notice her. So far his interactions with Alexandra had been conducted with complete professionalism and with the utmost courtesy - never once had he complimented or admonished her on her state of dress- all of which she found to be downright nauseating.

Aside from the customary pleasantries, giving her occasional instructions to perform menial tasks around the office or even asking Alexandra to take dictation for the weekly epistle that would be addressed to the Archbishop, the clergyman took no notice of the smoldering sex pot trying desperately to garner his undivided attention.

He'd just smile like a simpleton, bid her a good morning or afternoon, and then would go about his day to do whatever it was that priest were supposed do.

Alexandra, was beside herself. She just didn't get it.

_Geeze-Louise, it's like dealing with a butler or an overly-polite eunuch! Okay, so the guy's a priest. Big deal. It wasn't like his pecker fell off the minute he took his vows or anything, _Alexandra had thought in her growing frustration._ I mean, he's still a man underneath that black wool cassock, right? _

Despite her lack of progress in getting under Father Russo's skin, there had been one definitive factor in her favor. Thanks to Alexandra's rather prickly anti-establishment stance, the highly intuitive rector had more than an inkling that his new secretary didn't exactly subscribe to his beliefs. And while it was his primary function to continually evangelize non-believers, the Jesuit never once tried to push his religion down her throat.

Nevertheless, she still found his glacial aloofness maddening and it only strengthened her resolve to melt that icy exterior once and for all. Proclaiming all out war on the holy institution that had its hooks into the object of her lust, Alexandra pulled out all the stops by making her advances more overt and brazen until her obtuse little priest finally got the message loud and clear.

Even so, it had taken yet another six months of strategically dropping pencils, pens and papers, "accidentally" rubbing up against him and even bending over her desk in just the right way to finally draw those dreamy eyes of his to her round little ass- like a magnet to steel.

Yet, in spite of all of her teasing and the devilish delight she experienced at tormenting the poor man of the cloth, it was during this time that Alexandra came to a startling realization about her own feelings. Quite unexpectedly, what had started out as a bawdy game of cat and mouse had slowly developed into genuine affection.

Simply put, Alexandra had fallen deeply in love with him.

And once that happened, a sense of true panic set in prompting her to quickly turned the tables on Father Russo. Her behavior made complete one-eighty to Father Russo's bewilderment. It was as if she had suddenly turned the tap from hot to cold by playing dumb and hard-to-get. Shockingly,she was now the one that avoided his eyes and spoke only when spoken to. No longer did she follow his every move with her hungry gaze or find some silly pretense to find herself alone with him.

Whether her new found ennui was part of her seductive strategy or had actually sprung from fear of her strong feelings for the man, Alexandra did not know. In any event, she kept up her sudden lackadaisical attitude for an undetermined amount of time, pretending all the while not to notice how badly her indifference had started to affect him.

OOO

Alexandra's conflicting messages were indeed wrecking havoc with Father Russo's emotional state. The usually well-versed and extremely prepared priest had begun to miss important appointments. Moreover, he had ceased to sleep or eat at regular intervals, judging from the dark circles under his eyes and the gaunt appearance of his hallowed out face.

Entire passages of critical sacramental rites would simply slip his mind-a malady that had been woefully apparent when he had all but muddled through the previous month's baptisms and confirmations. Needless to say, the incidents had been both embarrassing and daunting for Father Russo, so he turned to prayer in his hour of need. Spending hours locked away in seclusion, he had begged and pleaded with his God to liberate him from the conflict raging within his heart.

Sadly, his appeals had gone unanswered as undesirable lust spread throughout his body like some virulent disease. And it was all due to the bewitching girl he had stupidly placed under his employ - a girl that from day-one had purposefully and willfully endeavored to topple him from his sanctified pulpit.

He should have fired her when he finally caught onto her game. But by then, it had been too late. Alexandra had already wormed her way into every aspect of Father Russo's life because he had _allowed_ it to happen. Besieged at every turn, his waking hours were filled with thoughts of her as he often wondered what her ruby-red lips would taste like or how her black silky hair would feel like between his fingers.

But it was at night, when he was at his most vulnerable, that he would be plagued by dreams that were so vividly erotic, that he would always wake up in a cold sweat only to find his manhood hard and throbbing. Alone and desolate on his tiny cot, time stretched on into the night as Father Russo would agonize over the betrayal of his mortal body. Yet, as much as he struggled against the forces of darkness that threatened to tear his soul apart, he would always succumb under the weight of immorality.

"_Please forgive me_." The same pitiful plea would fall from his lips every time as he felt his resolve slipping further and further away.

Mournfully, Father Russo would turn his eyes away from the crucifix that served as a painful reminder of his calling. Then he would begin the profane ritual to relieve himself of the shameful burden aching between his legs. Soon, sighs and moans would reverberate off the bare walls of his sparsely furnished room as his hand steadily stroked the swollen flesh of his member.

"Oh, God!" he would blaspheme with a wretched groan as rage and hate flooded his soul - rage for the one that had brought him to such a lowly state and hate for his utter lack of self-control. However, his expressions of pain and joy were prolonged by the pleasure he felt and increased in volume.

Soon, Father Russo's sweat drenched body would tense up like the taut string of an archer's bow as his fingers continued to work in a frenetic tempo- _quick, quick, quick_. Clenching his jaw, he pushed himself closer and closer to the brink with every ragged breath he took as the tendons in his neck bunched under the strain.

Finally, after what seemed like an eternity of sweet torment, he sensed the familiar tightening in his balls that always heralded his hard-earned climax. Next, in an involuntary motion, his narrow hips and aching back would suddenly vault up from the mattress as his white hot sticky release would erupt all over his hand and stomach. And just like in previous instances of sheer bliss, Alexandra's name would always be expunged from his trembling lips like some dark, terrible secret.

Afterward, as passions cooled and senses were regained, Father Russo would weep like a motherless babe as ignominy and guilt took turns to rebuke his sinful actions.

Doubts would then quickly set in regarding his chosen vocation, calling into question his commitment to the Church. How could he carry on with his priestly duties or continue to preach to the congregation about the virtues of purity and abstinence when he had failed to uphold his own vow of chastity?

And how could he face his parishioners, who looked to him for spiritual guidance, when he secretly coveted the very thing that had brought about the downfall of Man and his eternal expulsion from paradise - _a woman_?

Adding to his worries were the gossipy whispers that had floated on the wind as everyone wondered what had transformed the vibrantly youthful pastor into a shell of his former self.

Loose tongues had wagged for months with endless hearsay tinged by scandal. Even Reverend Mother Theresa, who was the headmistress of the small parochial school attached to St. Joseph's parish, had gotten wind of the swirling rumors surrounding Father Russo and the supposed reasons behind his declining health.

_Could the parish secretary be to be blame_, the gossip-mongers had surely wondered. Didn't they all know that bearing false witness against your fellow man was a sin? Perhaps not, since Father Russo could still see judgment and suspicion whenever they cut their accusatory eyes at Alexandra. Their obvious disdain for her would greatly anger him, though he knew had no right to feel as such.

Why then did the priest feel so protective of her? Why did he hold this godless little sinner, who cursed like a sailor and could drink men twice her size under the table, in such high regard? Didn't the Bible teach him that he should treat all of God's children with equal esteem? What made _her_ so worthy then of his special attention and his most furtive desires?

Then the answer had come to him as easily as drawing breath into his lungs: he _loved_ her. It was as simple as that.

OOO

As for Alexandra, she had known that one day soon her little game of hot and cold would reap a bitter harvest. It was one thing to be benignly Machiavellian when she regularly manipulated others to do her bidding. However, it was a completely different story if someone was actually harmed in some emotional or physical way because of her deviousness.

She may have been a bit on the naughty side with two generous dashes of wicked, for good measure. But Alexandra would never intentionally harm another human being for her own benefit. Nevertheless, she was very afraid she had done just that in her pursuit of her benevolent employer. Father Russo's dramatic weight loss, withdrawn demeanor and the ever increasing speculation of their unique "friendship" were all signs of the evil she had wrought.

Deep down she knew that if she had any decency left, she should have quit her job a long time ago and left the poor man alone so he could find his way back to his faith. But the very thought of not seeing him ever again plunged a knife deep into her heart. So she stubbornly chose to stay, even though she was aware that her very presence was the cause of his anguish.

Day after day, Alexandra would endure the slings and arrows others had thrown her way. Opinions, good or bad, were like assholes - everybody had one. And they mattered little to her.

But when she would see Father Russo stoically suffer through the indignity of being crushed by the rumor mill, her heart would bleed for him. His pain was her fault. And yet when his eyes reflected a deeply harbored longing every time he looked at her, Alexandra felt a renewed spark of hope. The man she loved so desperately also yearned to consummate their forbidden passion.

Painfully aware of the restrictions placed upon him by his accursed circumstances, she watched helplessly as he grappled with his desires. After all, he was still a man underneath that tunic he wore- just another flawed human being susceptible to the same weaknesses and temptations like any other. Repression and denial could only be sustained for so long before the tinderbox that she and Father Russo were precariously sitting upon would mightily explode.

It would only be a matter of time before his tenacity finally would fail. The day of reckoning was coming...Alexandra could sense it all around her.

True enough, it all came to head on one blustery October afternoon when Father Russo suddenly burst into the small rectory office. As he closed and then bolted the door behind him, Alexandra jumped a little in her seat. She had obviously been startled by the abruptness of her boss' entrance.

Swiftly, she shifted her gaze from the letter she had been attempting to bang out on the typewriter for the umpteenth time. Since she wasn't the best typist or the fastest, she made many mistakes that constantly needed correction or in this case a complete do-over.

Seated primly behind her desk, her brow furrowed in confusion as she asked, "Are you okay, _Padre_?" She always used the Spanish word for "father" when addressing her employer. She preferred using it rather than call him by his proper title.

Thank goodness she had learned some of that _español_ lingo from her Mexican-born grandmother, otherwise she'd have to call him other things like "nerd" or "dork". Both epithets would be fitting alternatives, since she was probably the only person in the world who knew that the good priest hid a secret stash of Superman and Captain Jim Bob Sherwood comic books in his room. She had come upon them one day when she went snooping through his things.

Now, as he stalked right up to her with purposeful intent, she observed how the folds of his black vestments swayed to and fro, as her ears keenly discerned how the ebony and silver beads of his Rosary clacked together with every determined step he took.

When her concerned eyes fell upon the fierce expression etched upon his face, Alexandra gasped in awe.

As he loomed ever closer, his unkempt appearance became painfully apparent. With his dark hair frazzled and his cheeks heavily laden with three-day's worth of coarse facial stubble, he looked more like a madman instead of priest. But what was most worrisome were the dark circles and bloodshot eyes. It was quite obvious that Father Russo wasn't sleeping properly.

"J-Justin?" Alexandra had dared to speak his given name for the first time ever. Foolishly, she had hoped that its utterance would somehow give him pause and keep him from committing an act he would later regret.

To her dismay however, he either didn't hear her or chose to ignore the veiled warning. In any event, he refused to answer her as he kept coming toward Alexandra, like a charging rhinoceros. Soon, he had made it all the way across the room only to stand directly in front of the alarmed clerical worker who was cowering in her chair.

_Is he here to give me the boot_, she wondered worriedly as she looked at the man hovering above her.

Despite her anxieties at the prospect of losing her steady income, she knew that it would be a smart move if he did fire her. What better way would there have been to finally shut up those busy-bodies spreading rumors about the two of them?

_Besides,_ _Father Russo would probably be better off if he did get rid of me before word of my existence gets back to that fuddy-duddy Archbishop._

However, before she could even say another word in her defense or otherwise, her soon-to-be ex-boss suddenly reached out with both hands, grabbed her up by the forearms to roughly pull her to him.

As her body was forcibly yanked from her chair, she was stricken with fear. Her heart fluttered madly as she struggled to get away from his cruel grasp. However, the minute she inadvertanly glanced up at him, she was instantly transfixed by irrefutable lust burning brightly within the gray-green irises of Father Russo's distinctive eyes. Alexandra tried to turn away from so much intensity, but his fixed gaze would not retreat or relent in any way. The smoldering stare held her captive, never wavering, not even for an instant. And while she remained trapped within his powerful arms, Alexandra could feel herself shudder uncontrollably as his rapacious eyes roved over her features.

"Why?" he suddenly bellowed to the wanton creature that had methodically conspired to drive him to want to break his vows and discard his virtue. His voice was a strangled rasp filled desperation and despair.

Being this close to him, Alexandra could tell that he had been drinking, _a lot_. The smell of whiskey on his breath was still strong. The pungent odor immediately reminded her of the many nights she had spent finding comfort at the bottom of a bottle right after Mason had died.

Presently, in spite of Father Russo's drunken state and her own lingering fear, she still reveled in his closeness. Alexandra found herself sighing with longing when his hold on her tightened. His strength astounded her while the feel of his big, manly hands enticed and aroused her against her will. She couldn't help how she felt. How could she when the warmth of his body was slowly seeping into hers? There was no stopping the thrill that made her senses come to life.

Still, she had the presence of mind to be somewhat wary of her feelings since she was confused by his earlier query. Clarification was in order, so she cautiously ventured to seek it. "I don't understand..." Alexandra tentatively began.

Unnerved by the sound of her voice, Father Russo continued to glare at her as his handsome face twisted into an expression of pure anguish. Shockingly for both of them, a single tear-drop rolled down his unshaven cheek.

"Why did you do this?" he asked again.

When she did not answer him, the man of God suddenly shouted to the heavens, "You could have set your sights on anybody else, Alexandra! ANYBODY but me!"

"Don't yell at me, _please_," she pleaded with him as hot, wet tears of her own filled her brown eyes. It had become evident that not only was he stinking drunk, he was also very, very angry. And Alexandra knew better than most that booze and a hot-blooded temper were usually a dangerous combination - like trying to put out a fire with gasoline.

"Answer the question, _dammit! _So what is it, Mrs. Grayback? Do you like getting your _kicks_ teasing priests? Is that how you get your jollies?" Father Russo snarled at the woman at the center of all his troubles. "Maybe you've trolled other churches, preying on unsuspecting clergymen, like some modern-day Delilah, right?"

Alexandra flinched upon hearing his venomous words. Her tearful eyes became as wide as saucers as she continued to be subjected to Father Russo's ridiculous insinuations. "No, of course not!" she adamantly refuted. "I don't know what you're yakking about."

"Oh, really?" he furiously lobbed back at her. "Maybe I'm not the first one you've driven insane with that _body_ of yours?" as he said this, red bleary eyes raked over every inch of her womanly curves.

Tears kept running down her face as she cruelly lashed out, "Took you long enough to notice! I was beginning to think you were a _fruitcake_ or something!"

"I wasn't supposed to notice you- not now, not ever! I am _priest_, Alexandra! And I've sworn my life to serve God and the Church of Rome. But that means _nothing_ to you because you don't care about things like faith and sacred duty! Some Catholic you are. You don't even attend Mass."

"And that's another thing, you might be the worst secretary ever! Your filing system is incomprehensible, your typing skills are a joke and you spend more time gabbing on the telephone with your friend, Harper than doing your job! I don't even know why I've kept you on this long."

Alexandra didn't know what had suddenly possessed her. Perhaps it was the outrage she felt at being labeled a whore and a lazy employee by some priest who couldn't lay off the sauce long enough to have a decent conversation. Whatever it was, it had compelled her to slap him soundly on the cheek.

When he felt the sting from the palm of her hand land across his face, Father Russo relinquished his hold on his secretary to attend to the reddening mark on his cheek.

After she had delivered the blow, Alexandra's tears had started to flow more freely as she stared at the priest with disbelief.

"Who the hell do you think you are? You think because you pray to some statue and kiss the ass of some invisible God that you're somehow better than me? You know what, _Padre_? I'll save you the trouble of firing me because I _QUIT_!"

Enraged beyond belief, she reached down to retrieve her purse with trembling fingers. She then scooted around the other side of her desk to avoid any further contact the man that had just humiliated her. Wiping her eyes with the back of hand, she took a deep breath before she proceeded to march herself toward the office door with her head held high. But just as she was about to place a hand on the ornate doorknob, she suddenly felt the weight of another body flush against her back.

A sense of panic took hold as a pair of strong masculine arms encircle themselves around her tiny waist, Alexandra gasped with surprise as she began to fight against her assailant.

"Let me go, you big creep!" she demanded as her body wriggled like a worm on a hook in an effort to escape. Unforunately, the hold on her was unyielding, effectively trapping her against the door she was facing. Then the struggle soon came to halt, when she felt the moist roughness of Father Russo's stubble graze the side of her face. With her heart hammering away inside her chest, Alexandra closed her eyes as she waited breathlessly for him to explain his unanticipated actions.

"Don't leave..." he begged her with a pitiful sob that cracked his voice.

His plea sounded so ardent, so desperate that it immediately tugged at her heart as the words echoed inside her ear. And yet an inexplicable terror tore through Alexandra which kept her rooted where she was, unable to move, eyes front as she trembled from head to toe.

"Why should I stay?" she finally dared to ask after moments of deafening silence. Afterward she licked her dry lips as she waited with bated breath for the answer.

The reply came soon enough when the beleagured priest hotly whispered in her ear, "Because I _need_ you."

Her eyes fluttered closed once again as the earnest response made her body shudder with relief.

But Father Russo was far from done as he continued to astonish Alexandra with his heartfelt words, "Because without you, Alexandra I'm_ nothing _but a set of memorized prayers, rituals and centuries-old doctrines. Those thing are merely the symbols of my faith. But you are so much more to me. And as much as I've tried to deny it, there's no escaping the truth. You've become the living, breathing embodiment of my heart. So you can't leave because I can't live without my heart."

Moved the sincerity of his impassioned revelations, Alexandra Grayback slowly turned around to face the man that had spoken them.

When their gazes met at last on an equal playing field, she cleared her throat before she asked, "What about all the stuff you said before about me being some tramp and a bad secretary?"

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean it. I was just conflicted...maybe I still am. All I know is that I have all these _feelings_ for you. But I don't know what to do about them," Father Russo admitted as he ran his fingers through his uncombed hair.

"Maybe I can help," Alexandra shyly offered as her eyes glistened with unshed tears. She then reached up, placed a hand at the back of his neck and pulled him to her.

"Ever kiss a girl, _Padre?" _She smiled when she noticed how he gulped as his watery eyes searched hers.

"Y-Yeah, once when I was sixteen. Her name was Miranda I-I think," the clearly nervous priest tried to recall. " It was my first kiss. I didn't know what I was doing and it turned out pretty awful."

That particular bit of news only made Alexandra's smile even broader as she boldly proclaimed, "Oh yeah? Well, pucker up, big boy...I'm about to rock your socks off!"

OOO

Before Father Russo could even object, Alexandra swiftly smashed her plump red lips up against his. Instantly, he felt dizzy and lightheaded. And he didn't know if it was a direct result of the alcohol he had imbibed or the hot wet kisses slowly setting his body on fire. Maybe it was a combination of both. All he knew was that from the moment their mouths had touched, the contact had been absolutely _electrifying_. And he instantly fell in love with the sensation of having her kiss him senseless.

However, Father Russo had more than an inkling that he was returning her ardor rather sloppily, no surprise, since he was severely lacking in this area. Although he felt slightly self-conscious about it, he still had the presence of mind to follow Alexandra's lead and imitate her practiced kissing technique until he became very well-versed in the subject.

So with eyes closed and lips opened, he forged ahead. When their tongues entwined, he groaned in appreciation as all good sense left him and primal instinct took over. All he knew or wanted know at that moment was the taste of her.

But it wasn't enough. He had to feel her too.

Did he dare expose her naked quivering flesh and touch what was once forbidden to him? He was already in the thick of it, up to his neck aned wading in sin. As the old proverb goes: _in for a penny, in for a pound_, so there was no turning back now.

Virginal though he was, he allowed his desire to guide his shaking hands to map out the newly discovered terrain of Alexandra's body. His fingers caressed the sides of her face and neck as his hungry mouth continued to feast on hers. Father Russo's long, tapered fingers carried on their downward path until they reached the mounds of her breasts. Hesitation halted his actions for a fleeting moment. But he found his confidence again when Alexandra tore her mouth away to egg him on.

"Touch me, for _fuck's_ sake!" she breathlessly pleaded.

And it was all the encouragement he needed to greedily cup the cloth covered breasts in the large palms of his eager hands while his lips sealed themselves over her filth spewing mouth. Usually, he would have admonished her for her cursing and insisted she put a quarter in the office swear jar. But in the current context of things, he found her use of profanity to be just as intoxicating as the fifth of Irish whiskey he'd purchased earlier that day.

Not wanting to be outdone, Alexandra gave as good as she got when her small hand snaked down to the lower half of his vestments to grab onto the hardness that was tenting the robe.

As she started to rub and stroke the concealed erection, Father Russo moaned into her mouth, clearly enjoying the pleasure she was giving him.

Then suddenly, in a fit of unbridled passion, he pushed her against the door as his mouth attached itself to Alexandra's exposed neck. Inexperience did not deter him from licking and sucking her skin as his hands continued their exploration of her body. He had never touched another human being in such a spontaneous manner before. Yet, he reveled in the instinctive way his body knew how to please hers.

Once again however, his conscience and his intellect were at odds over what was happening. Even as he gave himself over to passion, Father Russo's spiritual side demanded grounds by which to justify the devastating tidal wave of lust that was sweeping away _everything_ he had ever known. Therefore, he looked to the Holy Scriptures themselves for the answer.

_God Himself, at the onset of Creation, encoded all human beings with these very same drives so that they could carry out one His very first commandments, _he reasoned as he felt Alexandra's tongue trace the shell of his ear. She was driving him wild and he knew that soon he would lose his resolve to reconcile mind and body.

_Did He not decree in Genesis 1:28 to be fruitful and multiply, _the learned priest further rationalized. _It would stand to reason then that the Almighty not only equipped His human creations with the ability and the means to fulfill His prime directive but the desire to do so as well. If that is the case, then such a thing cannot be evil as the Church has made it out to be. Especially if there is _love_ behind these feelings..._

Soon all lucid thought fled from his analytical brain as he and Alexandra continued to savage one another. Masculine and feminine fingers struggled and fumbled with layer after layer of cumbersome clothing while lips and tongues continually co-mingled. Piece by piece, their garments were carelessly divested from one another until the were as naked as the day they were born.

When Father Russo got his first glimpse of Alexandra's nude form he was awestruck by its perfection. Not a scar or blemish marred the smooth skin, every inch of her was flawless in every way. Her breasts, adorned with dusky erect nipples, were modest in size yet firm and set high upon her chest. And as his eyes moved further down he took the time to admire the flat plane of her stomach, the slight flare of her hips and then he zeroed in on the small patch of hair that rested at the juncture between her smooth thighs. Her calves were well-formed and pleasing to the eyes as were her dainty feet with their painted over toenails.

"You're so beautiful," Father Russo whispered reverently as he pulled her to him once more.

"Thank you," Alexandra whispered back while she appreciatively gazed back at him. "You're not so bad yourself. Who knew you were hiding such chiseled body underneath those robes? And as for Mr. Winkey..._YOWZA!_ "

Her off-the-cuff comments regarding his fit physique and the manhood that now stood proud and erect between them made him blush profusely. No one had ever complimented him in such a manner before. But he found that he liked the praise, especially coming from her.

But as he continued to hold Alexandra in his arms, Father Russo suddenly became very nervous and unsure about what was going to happen next.

"So what now?" he timidly asked as he gaze turned away from her inquisitive eyes.

Alexandra smiled wickedly just then as she garishly replied, "We fuck each other's brains out. That's what!"

And that's _exactly_ what he was afraid of. "Uh, Alexandra..." Father Russo croaked out in shame and embarrassment as his cheeks grew hotter and redder.

Her smile faltered somewhat when she saw his unease. "What's the matter, _Padre_? Don't tell me you're having second thoughts?"

"No, no...it's nothing like that. I still want you. God, you have no idea how much! It's just I-I've never done this b-before and..."

Placing a reassuring hand on the side of his face, Alexandra tried to alleviate his fears. "Hush, baby. Let mama take care of _everything_. I promise to make it good for the both of us," she whispered huskily.

Then she quickly dropped to her knees in front of him, gripped the sides of his narrow hips then proceeded to worship the only god she would ever need when she took the weeping tip of his cock into her skilled mouth.

As she began to suck and kiss the hardened phallus, the astonished priest's eyes immediatley rolled into the back of his head as he exclaimed, "Oh, dear merciful God in Heaven!"

And thus began the deflowering and eventual corruption of Father Justin Vincenzo Pepe Russo.

_TBC...__  
><em>

A/N: Well, that's the first of only two chapters. I know that some of you may find this piece a bit weird and quirky or even OOC because of the "no magic" factor. But I've wanted to get this story out of my head for a long time. Your opinions do matter, so please let me know if I should continue with the second half or scrap this altogether.


	2. Chapter 2

**Lead Us Not Into Temptation**

_A/N: _Okay, so I lied. This is the second but not last chapter to this story. There's a third act to this melodrama. I didn't mean for it to happen. But I just couldn't help myself. Also, I'm sorry for the late update but RL can be a cruel bitch sometimes. Good news is it's already written. But I'm going to wait a couple of days before I post it.

_Summary_: Father Justin Russo finds himself at crossroads. One path will lead him to the prestige and power the Vatican offers. But should he choose the other…what then? Will he be able find happiness and fulfillment with a girl that doesn't share his faith and is his complete antithesis in every way? Read on to find out.

_Warnings: _Graphic descriptions of coitus and _in flagrante delicto. _Also depictions of a man of the cloth engaging in such acts. If you are overly religious and are offended by the topic, please stop reading this now.

_Disclaimer_: I don't own WoWP or its characters. Also, I don't own the plot or any of the ideas presented in Colleen McCullough's novel, "The Thorn Birds".

_Acknowledgments: _Thank you to all who have either added this story to your alerts or favorites. Also I'm truly grateful for everyone that's reviewed so far. To the registered and logged in members, I've done my best to thank you each personally. If for some reason I didn't send a reply, it was not intentional.

I would also like to acknowledge my anonymous readers:

_karmen_: Mucho appreciation, thanks.

_Unknown_: Your words not only praise my work but they also give me something to strive for. Thank you for the support you've shown to both of my Jalex stories.

_God of Death: _Thank you for your wonderful comments. I hope this next chapter gives you the satisfactory conclusion you hoped for.

_Taboo90210:_ I'm so happy you that found my story entertaining. My only wish is keep you entertained and enthralled until the very end.

_Justsaying:_ I know what you mean about the lack of cohesiveness that makes the Jalex bond we've come to know such a powerful and compelling one. That being said, I hope you can still appreciate the fic for what it is at its core – a unique love story. Sometimes two people don't have to know each other a lifetime to make that once in a lifetime connection. Call me a hopeless romantic. But I'd like to think that no matter what universe they find themselves in, Justin and Alex will always find a way to each other.

**Chapter Two**

_Three years earlier..._

And thus began the deflowering and eventual corruption of Father Justin Vincenzo Pepe Russo.

Indeed it had.

During her first fervid encounter with Father Russo, Alexandra Grayback had exhaustively schooled the wayward parish priest in the pleasures of the flesh in the most imaginative of ways possible.

Of course at the onset, the virtuous initiate had been timid and ambivalent about the many different methods to express physical love. But as his surprisingly agile and creative partner introduced him to more and more blissful pursuits, his inhibitions soon fell away as his excitement grew. Ultimately, Father Russo had demonstrated a keen interest to learn _everything_ about the unspoken language between men and women.

Thankfully, to Alexandra's supreme delight, the _Padre_ had turned out to be a very apt and _insatiable _pupil. And now as she and her new lover lay on the carpeted hard-wood floor, exhausted but terribly happy, her tired eyes lazily roamed about the untidy space.

The office was truly a mess. Documents, important and otherwise, had been strewn from the desk and now lay all over the place like oversized confetti. Further perusal revealed that a glass container that held a variety of paperclips had fallen over and shattered, as well as the chipped ceramic coffee mug that had housed the many pencils and pens. The stapler, the Ma Bell issued telephone and the heavy Corona typewriter had all suffered the same fate as the paper and writing implements. Every piece of office equipment had been rendered broken and useless by the destructive force born out their illicit tryst.

Alexandra smiled then sighed contentedly as the recent memories flickered on the screen of her mind's eye. She recalled with vivid clarity how their tempestuous lovemaking had left no surface untouched. The desk, the chairs, the walls and every other available space had fallen prey to the aggressive rutting of their conjoined bodies. They had mauled one another like two wild animals fighting over a fresh kill.

The entire experience quite frankly had been frenetic, wild and incredibly passionate. And yet, it had also been a life-changing and joyful union of two kindred spirits who unbeknownst to them, had been torn asunder by time and circumstance, lost to one another until some miracle of fate had brought them together and made them whole again.

The scary part was that Alexandra had _never_ felt this way about anyone, not even her dearly departed Mason.

In fact, no one had brought her to the heights of ecstasy or made her want to lose herself so completely in another person like Justin did. That's right, _Justin_. He had ceased to be Father Russo or the more affectionate sounding "_Padre_" in her eyes. Her heart recognized him simply as Justin Russo now-not the priest but the man whom she loved beyond reason. Besides, what saintly entity could have ever sated the aching needs of her body while at the same time reach in and touch that vulnerable part of her that she had kept hidden from everyone else?

Alexandra couldn't explain it. But something deep inside her had been nourished by the methodical and yet tender way he had sought to love and please her. Even with his novice's approach, Justin's wide-eyed amazement over every new sensation had fueled her own sense of wonder. Every touch, every kiss had been a revelation to her as their bodies forcefully collided over and over again like giant waves crashing against the rocky shoals at the water's edge.

Whatever it was, Alexandra knew that Justin was chiefly responsible for the way she had trembled under and over him as pure pleasure radiated from the inside out. Even now as they continued to bask in the euphoria of their shared afterglow, she still felt the delightful little tremors of her last climax dancing upon her glistening, sweat-drenched skin.

As Alexandra tried to regulate her erratic breathing back down to normal levels, she was suddenly overcome by everything she had felt and experienced with Justin. There was only one way she could describe the myriad of emotions that beat frantically at her breast.

It had felt like coming home.

_Home _– that warm and familiar place, that felt like something out of a long forgotten memory or dream. As crazy as the notion might have seemed, from the very first moment he entered her, that's precisely what their joining felt like. In Justin's arms, she had finally found a safe haven from the cold, uncaring world that turned a blind eye to her lonesomeness.

However, once their bodies had become one, the sweet tenderness of that significant event quickly gave way to more primal urges. As Justin finally surrendered to his lust, he eagerly began to drive his hips forward with jerky, awkward movements.

Wisely, Alexandra slowed things down and taught him to prolong both their pleasure with longer, deeper thrusts. Gripping his hips, she had made Justin completely withdraw from her snug wet vagina. Then before he could protest his expulsion she had violently pushed him back in seconds later until he was sheathed to the hilt within her tight walls. She then repeated this action several times while driving Justin wild in the process.

Under Alexandra's expert guidance, it wasn't long before the student had turned the tables on the master. When he began to plow into her with the force of a jackhammer, she knew that he needed no further instruction.

Meanwhile, Alexandra began to claw away at Justin's skin in a raw animalistic fashion as she moaned and writhed beneath him. She then coaxed her lover with breathy whispers and groans to pound her harder and faster.

Happily, he had obliged her impassioned request by fucking her vigorously and repeatedly, grunting in time with each thrust, as her long red nails left their indelible mark all over his back and buttocks.

When he felt the sting of her fingernails cutting into his skin, Justin knew that she was staking her claim on him. And it was in that moment that the intense desire to brand her _his_ and his alone had possessed him as evidenced by the bruises that were already forming along the delicate skin of her inner thighs.

The extremely satisfied woman sighed as she recalled how his strong fingers had made those discolored depressions. Justin had orally serviced her. And in his enthusiasm, he had mindlessly yet viciously clamped onto her thighs so he could bury his face deep into her glistening folds to taste their co-mingled juices .

Although he had never performed cunnilingus before, Justin wasn't put off by the idea in the slightest. In fact, he wanted very badly repay Alexandra for the breathtaking fellatio she had been given him earlier. To his credit, the now disgraced clergyman was very eager to learn. And as it turned out, he took orders very well.

In fact, with very little coaching, Justin had Alexandra screaming his name in no time as she was brought off by the urgent flicking and sucking of his tongue and lips. The sheer force of her orgasm had caused her juices to gush all over his mouth and chin. Naturally, she'd been embarrassed about expelling so much fluid. But when he licked his lips,complimented her on the taste and then dove in for more, she just about died right there and then.

OOO

And now as Alexandra languidly stretched her tired muscles, she felt a twinge of discomfort flare up on her entire backside. And there was no doubt in her mind that there would be a smattering of black and blue contusions to contend with the next morning. Not to mention the numerous love bites that erupted on her skin, all red blotchy, broadcasting to the whole world exactly what she'd been up to.

_Looks like I'll have to pile on the make up tomorrow to hide these beauties_, she wistfully concluded as she turned her head to look at the exhausted and sweaty man laying next her still panting for each breath. As her dark eyes drank in the exquisiteness of Justin's naked body, she secretly prayed that he wasn't an illusion that would disappear from her sight in a puff of smoke.

Wanting to still feel connected to him, her fingers reached out to touch his torso. As she leisurely dragged the tips up and down his hairless chest, Alexandra demurely asked, "So, whatcha thinkin'?"

Lying flat on his back, Justin let out an incredulous laugh as he answered her. "What am I thinking? Oh, nothing really expect for the fact that I can forget about purgatory now. After everything we did, I'm Hell bound for sure."

The acidic tone of his voice made Alexandra's heart sink like a stone. Swiftly, she turned her body away from his as fresh tears cruelly pricked her eyes. As she stared out at one of the stained glass windows which depicted the Sermon on the Mount, she noticed that day had turned into night.

_God, it's probably really late_, Alexandra wondered, having no real notion of the time. All she knew was that she had fucked the rest of the afternoon away- _literally_. And it was all for nothing. She'd been wrong about Justin all along. Now that he got what he wanted, it was business as usual as far as she could tell.

_How could I have been so stupid, _she chastised herself as she bitterly realized that she'd just proven all those gossiping crones right. She was nothing but a desperate, lonely woman who sunk to the lowest depths of depravity to seduce a man that should have been off limits to the likes of her.

Suddenly, a great sense of panic overtook her as Alexandra thought of her friends, the Beakerman's. Not that she had a curfew or anything (because for Pete's sake, she was a grown woman) but there was always this unspoken agreement that everyone in the Beakerman residence had to be seated around the dinner table by six o'clock every night. Yet, something told her that it was probably way past the appointed hour.

_Harper's probably sick with worry. And knowing her she's already sent Zeke out to find me. I gotta get out of here before he shows up here with that Louisville Slugger of his._

With a grace that was nearly feline in nature, Alexandra Grayback quickly rose to her feet. Next, she wordlessly began to hunt for her discarded clothes. Feeling felt cheap and used, Alexandra fought back the pitiful sob that threatened to tear at her throat. And all she wanted now was to get dressed at quickly as possible and then go home, so she would no longer have to suffer the indignity of Justin's obvious remorse. As the disheartened girl began to slip on her now ruined undergarments, she made sure to keep her back to him so she wouldn't have to look into his guilty eyes.

Justin, meanwhile was stirred from his own dark thoughts by Alexandra's hurried movements. When he noticed that she was nearly dressed he asked, "What are you doing?"

"What does it look like I'm doing, _genius_?" she harshly fired back as she buttoned up her blouse with shaky fingers. Next, she stepped into her skirt and pulled it up to her trim waist as her bleary eyes searched for her shoes.

Sensing the frigid disenchantment coming off of Alexandra in waves, Justin was on his feet in moments. Giving no thought to his overt nakedness he moved swiftly toward her.

"Alexandra, are you okay?" Justin inquired with genuine concern.

When she didn't answer him, he was immediately gripped with worry as his heart started to hammer inside his chest. As Justin continued to watch her callously disregard him, he reached out to gently turn her around. But when she recoiled from his touch, Justin's fortitude to get to the heart of the matter was bolstered by his fear of losing her.

Desperately, he gathered her small body into his arms, pulling Alexandra toward him until her rigid back rested against his naked torso. As she began to futilely thrash about, Justin's hold on her tightened as he anxiously asked her, "D-Do you regret what happened?"

"What?" Alexandra was floored by the question. And for a fleeting moment she wasn't quite sure if she had heard him right. However, there was a discernible sincerity in his voice that managed to slip past her nearly impenetrable defenses. Eventually, the flailing of her body gradually ceased until she stood ready to listen to what Justin had to say.

As Father Russo felt his clandestine lover's stiff posture soften somewhat, he quickly moved in to affectionately nuzzle the side of her face with his own. "Alexandra..._Alex_," he cooed in her ear, trying out the derivation of her name for the first time. "Please look at me, my love."

_Gosh darn it!_ There were two things in this world that Alexandra Grayback could not resist- well, make that three.

The first was definitely chocolate. She didn't care what kind- Swiss, milk or the deep, dark variety- as long as there was plenty of the stuff on hand, she was a happy camper.

The second was a man in uniform - solider, sailor, fireman or cop. There was just something extra special about a guy all brassed up in his finest regimented attire. Sadly, she can now add _priest_ to that elite list of male distinction.

And the third and last item was the heartfelt supplications of the deeply repentant. She was a sucker for a gorgeous man figuratively down on his knees begging for forgiveness and kissing her ass.

Calling her 'Alex' had certainly been a nice touch too. No one's called her that since she was just a little girl in pigtails. Hearing it now, sweetly rolling off of Justin's tongue, brought back memories of a more innocent time when life wasn't so goddamned complicated.

Softened by Justin's gentle touch, Alexandra sighed as she allowed herself to be lulled into complacently by the tender hypnotic thrum of his voice. With an almost reluctant groan, she turned around to confront the undressed man that she had just recently defiled.

The moment she was facing him, Justin lovingly cradled her chin within his warm fingers, tilting her face toward his. And as his sea-green eyes peered deeply into hers, Alexandra felt herself drowning in them as she allowed herself to be dragged by the undertow.

The intensity of Justin's stare, coupled by the feral expression on his face spoke volumes of the pure animal magnetism that drew Alexandra to him despite her fear and doubts. God, she loved this man so much it was scary. But being a jealous and greedy woman by nature, the love she felt was a possessive one that precluded sharing Justin with anyone or anything, including his God.

One of the few times Alexandra had paid attention in school, her teacher had mentioned the French term _amour fou_ or mad love as it is known in English. Thinking back, Alex could vaguely recall the lesson that the phrase had pertained to. But she did remember its implication and how it related to the present.

What she felt for Justin was beyond love, beyond some silly, soppy romantic sentiment. Romance was for dopes and ditzy housewives that believed the garbage they read in those trashy dime-store paperbacks. No, this _thing_, this whatever-the-hell it was, was a passionate, obsessive inferno that threatened to consume everything in its path, setting the world on fire while she stood by to watch it all burn to a cinder. Did she care? Not particularly. As long as she and Justin survived the blaze, then nothing else mattered.

And that's when she knew right then and there that she was capable of _anything_, even selling her soul if need be, if it guaranteed keeping Justin chained to her side.

oOo

Alexandra was already damned to Hell (if such a place existed) for successfully seducing one of the holiest of holies. So what did it matter if she _lied_, _cheated_, or _stole_? She'd be condemned just the same. Besides the idea of eternal damnation didn't scare her in the least, especially when she knew that Lucifer was just a big sissy with daddy issues and a huge inferiority complex. Take away the pitchfork, the horns, the bat's wings and that serious case of lobster skin and what do you got- a big red Meany that's been placed on a permanent time-out. Yep, the guy was a push-over, no doubt about it.

Alex almost laughed when she recalled all the times that Father Russo had warned her about her total disregard concerning the fate of her immortal soul. She never paid him any mind when it came to spiritual matters. In any case, Alexandra had a strong feeling that if she ever did end up in Hades, she'd be running the joint in less than a week.

When she had voiced that very prediction to Father Russo over lunch one day, he almost choked on his submarine sandwich.

"Mrs. Grayback, you shouldn't be so glib regarding such matters! Lucifer and his Angels of Darkness were cast down below by the Almighty Himself as_ punishment _for their rebellion. Hell is neither a country club nor a place to be taken lightly. It is the Devil's dark domain, his kingdom, if you will. And he rules over it with an iron fist."

Alexandra just shrugged as she casually responded, "Good to know. But all that torture, fire and brimstone sounds so _boring_. And I think it's high time for a regime change. Besides, I always thought that there ought to be a Princess of Darkness. Hell could use a woman's touch."

Father Russo just sat at his desk, sandwich in hand, completely lost for words. His wit and intellect fought valiantly to come to grips with his secretary's flippant attitude. But alas the battle was lost before it had even begun. Therefore, the confounded cleric resigned himself to stare at the perplexing little heathen in disbelief as his jaw hung agape like some large-mouth sea bass.

Meanwhile, Alexandra had continued to hungrily chomp on her sub as she schemed to steal the uneaten half of her boss' lunch.

oOo

As her mind continued to sift through the recollections of past philosophical and theological discussions, Alexandra steeled herself for the battle of her life. Whimsical plans to overthrow the Devil and then preside over Hell in the hereafter were fine and dandy. But while she still resided in the mortal plane, the determined young woman was prepared to go to any lengths, short of killing, before she'd allow Justin to be taken away from her.

And it was in that precise moment that a sobering thought randomly popped into her head - being with Justin was still _wrong_, at least according to the societal and moral parameters laid down by the Church. Furthermore, in their narrow, condemnatory view she and Justin had just committed one of the deadliest of the Seven Deadly Sins. In fact, their relationship, if discovered, would be construed to be just as repellant as _incest_-firmly placing their love in the unspeakable realm of taboo.

Then another frightful thought came to her- what if Justin didn't love her just as strongly? What if he had already decided that their tryst was a one-time occurrence never to be repeated or spoken of again? What's to stop him from thinking those very things? He's already satisfied his lust and his curiosity regarding carnal matters. Father Russo could easily confess his indiscretions or forget them altogether and go back to being the righteous pillar of the community he always was. Besides, he would never give up the allure of Rome or the promise of a seat of power within the sacred walls of the Vatican just for her, right? Maybe not...perhaps she was foolish to think that one small insignificant girl could take on the might of a centuries-old religious institution.

But just as all seemed so utterly hopeless, Justin shocked and amazed her in an unexpected turn of events. Surprisingly, Alexandra received the answers to all of her burning questions the moment Justin grabbed her by the waist and then swooped down to capture her lips in a searing, breathtaking kiss. In an instant her troubled mind was sent reeling as he asserted dominion over her with fierce, possessive kisses that demanded her complete submission.

Justin's attack had been so quick, so ferocious the poor girl was deprived of her next breath. But as Alexandra struggled to draw in precious oxygen into her lungs, she soon groaned with pleasure when she felt his wet tongue plunder her mouth, daring her own fleshy organ to duel with his.

Not one to back down from a challenge, Alex engaged her lips and tongue in fierce warfare, matching and then besting Justin's fervor kiss for kiss. Quickly, she threaded her nimble fingers through the thickness of his unkempt hair, loving the feel of its soft texture as her heart began to race and her toes curled.

All the while the enamored young widow internally rejoiced- _he does love me! How do you like them apples God?_

In the meantime, consumed by the desire to maintain his ardor, Justin's hands reached up from her middle to grasp the sides of Alexandra's beauteous face. Then with a deep moan, he carefully held her head firmly in place while his thumbs lovingly caressed the apple of her cheeks. Next, in an experimental maneuver, his tongue slowly slipped from Alexandra's mouth, only to have the very tip of it trace the outline of her kiss-swollen lips.

Alexandra groaned unabashedly as she felt the flames of lust reignite between them. But just as she was about to surrender to passion's will once more, the fire burning in her belly was instantaneously doused by an unexpected and jarring knock on the office door.

And although the entryway had been locked and secured, Justin and Alexandra still guiltily jumped away from each other like two children whose hands were caught in the cookie jar.

"Oh, Christ!" Alex exclaimed which earned her a disapproving glower from her priestly lover.

Meanwhile, an older female's muffled voice called out, "Father Russo? Are you in there?" Her words were laced with an almost maternal concern.

The parish priest automatically recognized the intrusive tone. His eyes opened wide as he was suddenly attacked by anxiety.

"_It's Reverend Mother Theresa_," he fearfully mouthed to Alexandra who was nervously biting at her bottom lip as her frightened eyes stared at the door with rapt attention.

"Don't answer her," Alexandra hurriedly whispered. She too was experiencing a case of the jitters. The Reverend Mother was definitely no friend of hers. And the last thing Alex needed was to give more ammunition to a woman that already looked down her nose at her.

However, Father Russo knew there was no use pretending, the head nun must have seen the light on from under the door, hence the knock.

Usually, the Mother Superior never bothered him at night, since she had her own affairs to attend to running both the convent and the school across the street. However, if she had dared to venture out at this hour, perhaps something grave had occurred.

Thus, even in his current deplorable state, Justin's undiminished sense of duty to serve and help those in need still found its way to the forefront. Placing a long index finger at his lips, the young cleric signaled his lover to be quiet as he cleared his throat to address the abbess before any further suspicions were raised.

"Yes, Reverend Mother, I'm here. Is there something matter?" he anxiously asked.

"No, Father. It's nothing like that..."

"Good," Justin responded with some relief. "Because, I'm very busy right now. Can this wait until morning?"

"I've only brought your supper to you," the Reverend Mother kindly stated through the door. "When the sisters and I didn't see you in the dining hall this evening, I figured you must have worked through dinner again."

"Oh, thank you," he gratefully told her. Then as an afterthought he added. "Could you please just leave it by the door?"

"Father, is everything alright?" the Mother Superior cautiously inquired.

She found it rather odd that the young rector had not opened the door to speak to her like he normally did. And then there was the disquieting inflection in his voice which only added to her concern.

When the abbess had approached the rectory office just moment's earlier, she could have sworn that she heard more than one voice emanating from inside the office. But now that an eerie hush had descended, she wasn't so sure. Nonetheless, there was something _strange_ going on behind that closed door, something dark and sinister. And she hoped and prayed to the Blessed Virgin Mother that it had nothing to do with that little secretary.

The Reverend Mother may have been a Bride of Christ, but she was nobody's fool. For the better part of a year, she herself had witnessed many times the shameless way the dark-haired girl had flaunted her womanly wares whenever Father Russo had been in her general vicinity.

Shaking her head to clear her mind of impure thoughts, the wizened nun quickly brushed the edges of her black veil off her shoulders with a steady hand . Next, the pious woman took in a deep cleansing breath and then quickly released it as she tried once more to ascertain the reason behind Father Russo's uncharacteristic behavior.

"Are you feeling unwell? I can fetch Doctor Greenwald if you like..." the older woman offered as she tried to open the door from her side. When she found it was locked, the nun's face did nothing to conceal her disapproval.

Thankfully, for Justin and Alexandra, the deadbolt held. Nonetheless, the disgraced clergyman made up his mind to get dressed just in case the good sister had any hidden talents as a locksmith.

"No, no, no...there's no need. I'm fine. I just have some...uh, _paperwork_ to finish up. Yeah, that's it, paperwork. So, good night, Reverend Mother." Father Russo tried not to sound too stern as he dismissed her. But he hoped that the authoritative tone of his voice would somehow dissuade the inquisitive Mother Superior from prying any further into his affairs.

"Well...if you're certain. I will see you in the morning then for breakfast. Sister Juliet is making pancakes." Despite the cheerful announcement of tomorrow's menu, the abbess did not sound convinced that all was as it should be behind that closed door.

Nevertheless, she still took her leave but not before the Cuban born nun bade the young rector a fond 'good night' in her native tongue, "_Buenas noches_, _Padre Russo_."

"_Buenas noches_," Justin repeated back to her with a nearly flawless Spanish accent.

After waiting for the retreating woman's foot falls to grow fainter and fainter until they finally faded into nothingness, Father Russo slowly expelled the uneasy breath he had been holding.

"That was close...almost _too _close!" he exclaimed.

"Yeah," Alexandra readily agreed with a nod. She then turned a wary gaze toward the priest whose furrowed brow signaled that he was deep in thought. As she watched her lover pace back and forth in front of her like some human pendulum, he held his chin within a pensive grasp. It was abundantly clear that he had lost himself in a state of meditative contemplation.

Well, Alexandra would have none of that. The few minutes of excruciating silence that followed had already exhausted the last of Alex's extremely thin patience. Feeling a major snit coming on, she placed her hands on her hips while her left foot started tapping like mad.

If Father Justin Russo assumed that he could just clam up and shut her out of his egghead thought process then he had another thing coming. Aggravated at being ignored, Alex was getting ready to throw him a very big piece of her mind when Justin suddenly broke the stillness he had imposed.

"We need rudiments," Justin calmly stated as he continued to wear a hole in the carpet with his bare feet.

Confused by Justin's strange choice of words, Alexandra questioned him. "Rudy's mints? Who the hell is Rudy and why do we need his mints?"

Justin stopped pacing just long enough give her an eye-roll of annoyance as he sighed in frustration.

_Alex is adorable and I truly love her. But she can be so obtuse at times..._ the perturbed priest had surmised.

However, when Justin turned to fully face her, he encountered a rather mischievous smirk upon her ruby lips that indicated to him that Alexandra was a lot smarter than she let on. She knew _exactly _what he was referring to. And it didn't take him long to realize that the puckish little sprite was only _pretending_ to be stupid and she wanted him to play along.

For a fleeting moment Father Russo smiled knowingly at her, letting Alexandra know that he was onto her little game. But then just as quickly, his features took on a more ascetic manifestation. Crossing his arms over the well-muscled chest peeking out from his partially buttoned shirt, he sternly addressed the young woman standing in front of him.

"_Rudiments_, Mrs. Grayback are ground rules. You do know what those are, don't you? Although, I highly suspect that you've seldom followed _any_ set of regulations in your life," he decreed in an imperious tone.

Affronted by Justin's high-handed demeanor, Alex swiftly removed her hands from her curvaceous hips. She then balled them up into two little fists of fury as she stepped right up the man that dared to question both her integrity and intelligence. Sure, she had egged him to do so- but did he have to be so mean about it?

Alexandra stomped her foot and then snarled at her well-armed opponent in this game of wits_. _

"Listen here,_ poindexter!" _she barked at the slightly amused man like an infuriated Pomeranian.

Undaunted by the gleam of sheer delight in Justin's gorgeous eyes which belied his dour expression, Alexandra continued the verbal assault. "If you'd speak plain English, like normal people, then I wouldn't have such a hard time understanding you! You ain't Shakespeare, you know! So cut it out with the fancy talk, okay? And for your information, _dork-meister_, I'm no ignoramus. I know _what_ ground rules are_. _I just don't get _why _we need them."

Justin struggled to contain a grin of utter joy which threatened to destroy the spirited banter between them. To his happy surprise, he found their witty repartee to be just as stimulating as foreplay as evidenced by the partial erection that was slowly rising like dough inside his pants. The priest knew that the almost slavish zeal that he was currently experiencing during their heated argument boarded dangerously on fixation. And yet in spite of this insight, he planned to engage the little brown-eyed seductress in battle as often as he could.

Yes, it was sick and perhaps a bit twisted. But he wouldn't have it any other way.

Raising his bushy left eyebrow, Father Russo maintained his authoritative stance as he finally explicated his reasoning.

"We need rules set in place because we almost got _caught _tonight. Don't you see? What we've done was highly unorthodox not to mention _sinful_. And it could very well lead to my excommunication from the Church! I've worked too long and too hard to see my dreams dashed now! I still plan to be elevated to cardinal one day, God willing. I want to be within a hairsbreadth from the Holy Father himself. Do you understand?"

Alexandra understood him...all too well. It was funny how Justin's impassioned words left a bitter taste in _her_ mouth. Yet, it was becoming abundantly clear that Justin's lofty ambitions knew no bounds and that she was just slight bump on the one-way road to the Vatican.

"I see...so what just happened meant_ nothing _to you, right? You just _used _me so you get rid of whatever was left of your manhood before the Pope cuts your pecker off! Well, how about if I save him the trouble, hmm? Now, where did I put that letter opener?"

Alexandra then proceeded to put on a great show of searching the sharp implement as Father Russo's eyes widened in horror.

"A-Alexandra, w-w-what are doing?" the nervous cleric couldn't help stuttering as he subconsciously placed a protective hand over his crotch.

When she didn't answer him nor cease her actions of rifling through the debris of discarded office supplies and equipment, Justin moved to stop her before she hurt herself or more importantly, him.

Grabbing her gently by the shoulders, Father Russo tried to pull the mini-cyclone that was Alex away from devastating the office any further.

However, when she managed to wrench herself away from his grasp, Justin began to plead with her to listen to reason. "Alexandra, please stop! Let's talk about this."

"What's there to talk about? You've made up your mind already. So guess what? You can go screw yourself for all I care, _Padre!_" the angry young woman hissed back. She then turned away from him before he could see the tears that were already rolling down her flushed cheeks.

But it was too late, Justin had seen them and was immediately moved by her anguish. And that's when he came to the painful realization that he had allowed his logic get ahead of his heart. He was just thinking out loud, giving voice to his greatest hopes and fears. However, he hadn't taken into account how much his words would impact Alex. He had been unintentionally cruel when he made no mention of how much her presence in his life had drastically altered his plans for the future.

Justin needed to let her know right then and there that as far as he was concerned there would be no future for him unless she was a part of it.

Once again, Father Justin Russo reached out to touch the girl he had emotionally wounded. He wanted so desperately to give her comfort by sweeping her small body into his arms. However, he feared she would not allow the contact, so he settled for the next best thing.

Moving closer to the object of his affections, Justin's fingertips lightly brushed the soft nape of her neck as he resolutely declared, "I love you, Alexandra."

The feathery touch of her lover's fingers had sent tingles up and down Alex's spine as goose bumps broke out all over her sensitive skin. But it was his amorous confession that had her heart racing as her head swam in dizzying bewilderment. She suddenly felt so faint that her knees nearly gave way. Thankfully, Justin was right there to steady her when her stance actually did waver.

Once Alexandra was righted, Justin's hands remained on her body in a unspoken gesture of reassurance that he would not leave her side - not now, not ever. And yet despite this demonstration of solidarity, she still feared to meet his gaze. His words were one thing. However, she knew deep down that the _truth_ would be found in his eyes. And right now she couldn't bear to look into them. A part of her was still afraid of the rejection she might find floating inside the depths of his gray-green irises.

"Alex..." Justin tried again to get her attention. "I said that _I love you_. Please look at me."

With an exasperated sigh, Alexandra muttered under her breath, "Yeah, yeah...I heard you the first time, you _square_."

Justin heard her anyway and became slightly distressed at being labeled as someone not in step with the times. And yet he found himself grinning from ear to ear when he finally saw her slowly turn around.

Although Alexandra was facing Justin, she obstinately kept her eyes downcast, evidently still afraid to look at him.

Seeing her apprehension first hand, he tried to allay her insecurities by gently touching his fingers to the side of her face. "Alex...please look at me.

"Why?" she spat out in anger. "So you can tell me how in I'm in the way of you becoming all chummy with _il papa?" _Alexandra's gaze remained glued to the floor still averting Justin's at all costs.

Bothered by her avoidance tactics, it was Justin's turn to become enraged. Forcefully, he tilted Alexandra's face up toward his so that he could peer right into her doubt-filled eyes. "No!" he cried out as his fingers clutched her chin a little too tightly. However, when he saw how Alex winced at the contact, he was suddenly filled with remorse for being so brutish with her. Immediately, he offered a heartfelt apology for his actions as he eased up on his unyielding grip.

"Alexandra, I'm so sorry. Please forgive me," he said sincerely.

Given no other choice, the petite spitfire let his contrite words seep in. However, lingering resentment caused her to remain defiant. Wrenching her face from Justin's grasp, she stepped back a few paces but made no move to leave. Instead, she placed her hands on the sides of her cinched waist as the burning look in her eyes dared him to convince her.

"Go on, I'm listening," Alex sneered haughtily as she tapped her foot impatiently waiting for Justin to explain himself.

Father Russo's shoulders suddenly slumped forward as if he were just burdened with the weight of the world. A tired sigh hissed past his lips as he nervously ran his fingers through his unruly locks before he leveled an unwavering stare at the tenacious young woman.

"Look, what I said earlier about my aspirations..."Justin carefully began, trying his best to cast some much needed light on the subject. "I apologize if all that came out wrong. I didn't mean to sound so callous. Besides you only heard_ part _of the story."

Alexandra smiled contemptibly as her voice dripped with saccharine laced derision. "Oh, really? You don't say? Well, don't keep me in suspense, Hitchcock. Spit it out!"

Justin resisted the urge to roll his eyes again as he tried to overlook the sarcastic comments. "I've made no secret about my plans, Alexandra. Becoming a Cardinal, a Prince of the Church has been my life's ambition. And for a long time I've thought of nothing else. Do you know that I've spent _years_ studying Holy Scripture, pouring over ecclesiastical texts and immersing myself in codes of canonical law so that one day I could serve my God and His Church?"

"Figures...I bet you were a real apple-polisher in school too, weren't you?" Alex scoffed unkindly as she shrugged her shoulders.

"There's nothing wrong with showing those in authority the respect they deserve, Alexandra!" Justin tersely lectured, fully aware that he was very close to losing his patience with her. Yet, despite his ire, he decided to push forward with what he had to say before his words became a sputtering mess of nonsensical ramblings.

Clearing his throat, Father Justin Russo went for broke. "What I was about to say before I was so rudely interrupted was that _everything _changed for me the very first time I laid my eyes on you."

_"Say what?" _Alexandra abruptly exclaimed as her eyes bulged out of their sockets.

Pleased that he had finally caught her off guard, Justin reveled in having the upper hand- for once. His next words were relentless and vicious but, they had to be if he wanted to get his point across.

"That's right, you heard me! From the moment I saw you I knew you were going to be_ trouble._ With those lips, those eyes and that _incredible_ body how could you be anything but? Oh, I tried to stay strong and not give into my desires. But there you were, day in and day out, bewitching me with your revealing outfits!"

"Oh, so you _did_ notice," Alexandra cheekily retorted, smirking all the while.

"How could I not?" Father Russo incredulously fired back, arms gesticulating wildly . "Good Lord, Alexandra...I'm a priest but I'm not dead. I'm still a man from the waist down. And don't get cute. I always had a sneaking suspicion that you were wearing those tight sweaters and skirts just to get my attention._ Argh! _I knew it, I knew it, I knew it!"

"Well, bully for you then. Give the boy a gold star. It took you long enough. I was beginning to think you were more into the altar boys than me."

It was Justin's turn to have his eyes bug out of his head over Alex's insinuations regarding his manhood. "Listen here missy, I think we both know that despite my vocation I'm _all_ man. In fact I've proven it several times today. But if you need more proof, I'll gladly give you another demonstration."

When he saw the demonic grin on Alexandra's face, Father Russo quickly realized that he had played right into her hands. "Oh, God what am I saying? That's _exactly_ what you want, isn't it?"

"I'm willing if you are..." she purred seductively as she slowly began to advance on him.

"No, no, no! You're missing the point! Or maybe I am. Anyway, what I'm trying to tell you is that for the first time in my life I began to _feel _things, to _want_ things that I shouldn't because I'm a man of the cloth. And I'm not talking about _fornication _either. Although it _is_ nice, in fact it's _wonderful_. But I don't want you just because of your body. I love you for your mind and how you don't take anything at face value. You buck against authority but, I admire the fearless way in which you do it. And I'll be the first to admit that there's a stubbornness about you that drives me half way up a wall! But that's just it. You _challenge_ me and make me call into question _everything _that I believe in so blindly."

Alexandra had halted her steps at this point. She just stood there staring at Justin with tear-filled eyes as his impassioned words touched her heart.

"Really?" she asked as she fought unsuccessfully to hold back a choking sob.

Justin smiled crookedly when he how sweet and vulnerable she looked like harmless little kitten. "Yes, really." He then quickly approached Alex, bridging the chasm between them, so he could tenderly caress her soft, warm cheek.

Smiling down at her, he emphatically stated, "Because of _you,_ you crazy girl, I've re-examined my _entire_ life. I'd be lying if I didn't admit that I've often wondered what it would be like to share it with you...to have _children_ with you, grow old together and just be happy. Isn't that what the Almighty wants for us? Isn't that His plan? I certainly hope so."

"Justin, are you saying what I think you're saying?" Alexandra tentatively asked, her heart daring to hope for the impossible.

After placing a sweet kiss on her forehead, Justin bravely looked into Alex's eyes once more and declared, "Yes, my love. I'm planning on leaving the priesthood. In fact I am going to write to Archbishop Laritate first thing tomorrow to let him know about my resignation."

Alexandra, filled with happiness, squealed with delight as she wrapped her arms around the man she loved. "Oh, Justin! Do you really mean it?"

Father Russo returned the embrace just as fiercely as he joyously replied, "Yes, of course I mean it." He then tightened his hold on his little paramour.

After a few moments of relishing being in his arms, Alexandra was suddenly jolted by a dose of cold, hard reality. Pulling herself away from Justin momentarily, she lifted her face up to stare into his questioning eyes. "Uh, Justin...you do realize that we'll be both be out of a job, right? I don't know about you but I've grown accustomed to things like ...oh, I don't know...food, clothes, a gosh-darned roof over my head. I can probably find something. But what can you do besides being a priest?"

Justin only laughed at the adorable manner in which she worried about their combined livelihoods. "First of all, my love, thanks to the Church, I do have a college degree in civil engineering. So I should have no problem obtaining gainful employment in the secular work force. I even have a letter of recommendation from one of my old teachers, Professor Crumbs."

"That's great...but if you're leaving the priesthood wouldn't that mean you'd have to pay them back?"

"Yeah, I would which means I'll be up to my ears in debt. But I'd gladly pay any price to be with you."

"How long before we're together living in sin?" Alexandra asked, testing the waters to see how far he was willing to go with this life-altering decision.

Apparently, he was willing to take it all the way. "_Living in sin_? Oh, my darling girl, we'll do no such thing. I plan on making an honest woman out of you whether you like it or not."

"_Married? _Holy cow!" Alexandra exclaimed with wide-eyed amazement. Her lips then split apart in a self-assured grin as she dreamily pronounced, "Mrs. Alexandra Margarita Russo." Sighing wistfully, she loved the way the name sounded to her ears.

Justin returned the sentiment. "Yeah, that does have a nice ring to it, doesn't it?"

oOo

Sadly however, Justin and Alex's plans to run away and get married never came to fruition. And the Archbishop never received Father Russo's resignation letter. In fact (as Alexandra later learned), by some divine intervention Archbishop Laritate had paid the parish priest a surprise visit the very next morning to offer him something that he had been hard pressed to refuse: the suffragan bishop's position for the entire Archdiocese of Greater New York.

The proposition was a lucrative one which would have allowed Father Russo to work directly under His Excellency, the Archbishop. The promotion also meant more exposure to the Church hierarchy and it was the first important stepping stone towards donning the deep crimson robes of a Cardinal in the foreseeable future. It was everything that the striving young cleric had ever dreamed of. And as expected, Justin's ambitious side was immediately attracted to the brilliant future laid out before him, like a shiny new bauble. And as he pondered over the possibilities, thoughts of Alexandra and his promises to her were shelved just as his superior had planned all along.

Because unbeknownst to the unsuspecting priest, the proposal had only been a ruse, a diabolical plot concocted by none other than Reverend Mother Theresa and then carried out by her co-conspirator, the Archbishop to summarily drive a wedge between the two lovers. For the longest while the wary nun had been afraid of losing the best pastor St. Joseph's had ever had to that dark-haired harlot.

So far the good Father had remained steadfast to his faith. However, the Mother Superior's suspicions about the girl's less-than-honorable intentions had been confirmed when she had pretended to take her leave that night so that she could eavesdrop on their damning conversation. The deception had been a minor infraction but...it had been committed with the best of intentions.

In any case, to the Reverend Mother's shock and dismay, she had heard more than enough compounding evidence to prompt her to urgently contact His Excellency and enlist his help in her holy crusade to keep Father Russo where he rightfully belonged by playing to his vanity and aspirations.

Consequently, the promise of advancement gave Father Russo enough pause to put his plans of marriage on hold. And the longer the promotion was dangled in front of him like a carrot on a stick, the longer the Church had to get its hooks back into him.

But what the Mother Church hadn't counted on was the sheer tenacity of one Alexandra Margarita Grayback.

When Justin had first told Alexandra that he had been having second thoughts about their future together, she had been crushed- especially when she later found out about how the Archbishop had been manipulating him with the promise of a promotion that three years later he had yet to make good on.

Most women in her position would have given up fighting for what seemed a lost cause a long fucking time ago. But not her. Yes, her heartbreak had been debilitating in the beginning. But soon enough it had transformed itself into steely resolve to get her man at all costs.

Heaven knows that the three-year war she had waged with the Roman Catholic Church had been hard-fought. And in the process she had been ridiculed, demeaned and maligned by every member of the congregation for her continued yet unwanted presence in the rectory's office. Ultimately, her position as parish secretary had been under constant threat every day. If it hadn't been for the protection Justin still availed to her, Alexandra was certain that her job would have been forfeit years ago.

Meanwhile, Father Russo's life had not been without peril as well. Despite being singled out as the dioceses supposed golden boy, he had suddenly found himself under a very discriminating microscope. His every word and deed was being scrutinized at every turn by the all-seeing eye of the Church. In the beginning he had attributed the extra special attention to the customary vetting process that every candidate goes through when being considered for promotion.

However, soon enough the young Jesuit had learned that the focal interest on him had nothing to do with the suffragan bishop's position at all. In fact, thanks to Alexandra's clever and almost magical way of obtaining information, he found out that the offer had been nothing more than a falsehood devised to keep him attentive to the Church and more notably in line.

There had even been talk of expulsion and excommunication if he insisted "on carrying on with that little witch". At least that was the way that Alex had heard it when she had "unintentionally" picked up the telephone receiver one day and just happened to overhear a _very_ enlightening discussion between the Mother Superior and the Archbishop.

Surprisingly, in spite of Justin's indecision and all of the duress they had endured over the years, their love affair had remained as ardent as ever. Sadly, they've had to resort to cloak and dagger methods which involved meeting in seedy motel rooms located clear across town, wearing silly disguises and using the aliases of Jim Bob Sherwood and Jessica Moon just to get around the vigilance established by the very astute Reverend Mother and her network of nun/spies.

At first, all the sneaking around had been fun and very sexy. But as the years wore on and Justin still clung to the Mother Church's strangling apron strings, Alexandra had grown tired of playing part of Mary Magdalene, the love suffering whore with the heart of gold.

She wanted what Justin had promised her on their first night together- the cute little house in the suburbs with the white picket fence, the 2.5 kids and maybe even some mangy mutt they'd name Dragon. But most of all she wanted Justin, _all_ of him, not just the scraps she had managed steal from time to time.

Her priest had dragged his feet on this issue for far too long. _Three goddamned years to be exact. _So the time had come to finally take action and make him choose once and for all what he desired more- blind ambition or the woman he claimed to love.

_TBC…_


	3. Chapter 3

**Lead Us Not Into Temptation**

_A/N: _Okay, this is finally the end. I had a lot of fun writing this. It was cathartic in a way since I got to vent some of my frustrations with the Catholic faith and their stupid policy regarding priests and marriage. I hope that you find my work entertaining.

_Summary_: Father Justin Russo finds himself at a crossroads. One path will lead him to the prestige and power the Vatican offers. But should he choose the other…what then? Will he be able find happiness and fulfillment with a girl that doesn't share his faith and is his complete antithesis in every way? Read on to find out.

_Warnings: _Graphic descriptions of coitus and _in flagrante delicto. _Also, there will be depictions of a man of the cloth engaging in such acts. If you are overly religious and are offended by the topic, please stop reading this now.

_Disclaimer_: I don't own WoWP or its characters. Also, I don't own the plot or any of the ideas presented in Colleen McCullough's novel, "The Thorn Birds".

_Acknowledgments: _Thank you to all who have either added this story your alerts or favorites. Also I'm truly grateful for everyone that's reviewed so far. To the registered and logged in members, I've done my best to thank you each personally. If for some reason I didn't send a reply, it was not intentional.

I also want to acknowledge and thank my anonymous reader, _Unknown. _I look so forward your reviews,_ always_. I don't know who you are, masked stranger. But I promise to take your words to heart and continue to write Jalex.

**Chapter Three**

_April 19, 1959- St. Joseph's Roman Catholic Church - Present Day_

As she re-lived everything that had lead up to this moment, a half-dressed Alexandra now found herself waiting with bated breath inside the church's sacristy. After all her careful planning, she had formulated what she thought would be a sure-fire strategy to bring an end to the conflict that had taken over her life for the last three years.

Today was her Waterloo, her D-Day and it was winner takes all. And Justin didn't know it yet, but she had purposefully selected this date to be her lover's day of reckoning. There would be no more straddling the fence for him. He had to make up his mind on which side he would finally land. Hopefully, with some wily persuasion on her part and a bit of underhanded arm-twisting, she could finally convince her _Padre_ to see things her way.

True to his word, exactly five minutes later, Father Justin Vincenzo Pepe Russo walked into the small room located left of the main altar where the priestly vestments, church furnishings, sacred vessels and other religious relics were kept.

However, he stopped short of fully entering the holy chamber when his eyes were suddenly besieged by the veritable banquet of sin that Alexandra had laid out just for him. There she was, splayed out on top of the _sacristycredens_ like a giant starfish, wearing nothing but a lacy scarlet slip that rode up her creamy thighs while one of the thin straps sexily drooped off the curve of a delicate shoulder.

Her silky brown hair, which had been pinned up earlier in a pretty but conservative coif, was now loose and wild. And Justin's fingers ached to touch the soft curls that adorned her head like a fallen angel's halo. Lastly, her plump lips were painted in that shade of deep burgundy he loved so much which made him long to quench his insatiable thirst with the sweet wine of her kisses.

Seeing his Alexandra, _his love _looking so wanton and beautiful had wholly dissipated reason and drowned out the last desperate cries to come to his senses and remember his holy vows. To his detriment however, from the moment the defiled Jesuit felt his rampant need surge forth like molten lava, he knew that it was far too late for any self-recriminations.

There was no turning back now...he had to have her or die in the attempt.

Besides, it had been six _agonizing_ weeks since they had last been together and his body had felt every blessed second of Alexandra's absence. He had missed _everything_ about her-from her fiery kisses that always burned him through and through, to the satiny feel of her naked skin sliding against his own. Not to mention the way he had craved to taste the sweet tang of her essence dripping on his tongue every time he plunged his face deep between her thighs.

He just couldn't understand _why_ Alexandra had withheld her affections from him so long. Sure, she had been doting and at times sweetly loving. But when he tried to initiate more intimate moments she made every excuse in the book to avoid them. However, none of that mattered now. She was finally here in the flesh, both figuratively and literally and he cared for little else. So Father Russo happily surrendered his free will as the constant tug-o-war waged between heaven and hell to determine the fate of his immortal soul became a distant memory.

By the time the dark-haired man fully crossed the threshold, his penis was already painfully engorged and throbbing with want. Propelled by a force not entirely his own, he moved forward with single-minded purpose. And in true predatory fashion, he kept his bejeweled eyes locked on his quarry as his hands worked quickly to divest himself of his vestments. Every step he took was deliberate and assertive. And although he had yet to utter a single word, the intensity of his hungry gaze spoke volumes.

The message was clear to both of them -Justin meant to wholly _ravage _her...in the most animalistic way possible. He intended to take her repeatedly, in every position known to him, until every last drop of his lust was spent.

As he continued to disrobe, Justin's nostrils suddenly flared when he picked up the intoxicating scent of Alexandra's vanilla-lavender musk. The air was heavily permeated by the heady fragrance which made his head swim and his loins ache.

In the meantime, as Alex laid back with a self-assured smile while her smoldering, half-lidded eyes drank in every single move Justin made. Hungrily, she observed the black cassock slipped away from his sculpted body to reveal hard, bulging muscles. Groaning appreciatively, she couldn't believe how this man could be so beautiful. Just the sight of him had her wet and panting for him.

_No fair_, the aroused young woman thought to herself. _I'm so hot for the dork and he hasn't even touched me yet! _

Wanting to even the playing field, a wicked spread across her lips when she decided to give her randy little priest a peep show of her own. Brazenly, she spread her long legs to show him the glistening treasure that had been deliberately kept from him for well over a month.

When Justin's eyes fell upon Alexandra's moistened pink folds, the orbs almost popped out of their sockets. The little minx had worn no undergarments. And that undeniable fact had his mouth watering. But when further observation revealed that the patch of dark hair directly above her Mons pubis had been neatly trimmed, a feral growl rumbled from deep inside his chest as his manhood jerked in response.

The very sight of her sultry core drew out the most primal of urges as he acknowledged the explicit display for what it was -an unspoken invitation to taste of her nectar. Luckily for Alexandra, Justin was beyond parched and wanted nothing more than to drink deeply from the spring flowing freely from between her legs.

Half-naked and trembling, he quickly knelt before her offering in an unintentional erotic parody of a reverent supplicant waiting to receive the Holy Eucharist. Slowly, he moved forward, face and mouth looming ever closer to claim his succulent prize. However, before he could dive in to savor the sweet juices, Justin felt Alexandra's hand touch his forehead, summarily stopping him. Confused by her actions, the aroused priest looked up to give his lover a questioning gaze.

"Not so fast, _Padre. _There's_ something _we need to talk about first," Alex announced in a serious tone.

Even in his current sex-addled state, Father Russo could hardly believe his ears. Here she was, with her legs parted like the Red Sea, practically shoving her dripping womanhood in his face, and all she wanted to do was_ talk_? Had she lost her mind?

Justin expressed his displeasure with a high-pitched whine. "You wanna talk, _NOW_? For the love of St. Peter...of all the times to have a discussion, you had to pick _this_ precise moment?"

"Yes," she coolly replied as her hooded eyes looked down at him with the disdain of a displeased goddess.

Angry and desperate, a frustrated Father Russo chose to throw caution to the wind when he suddenly lunged forward to pepper kisses along the inside of her thighs. "Alexandra, I've _missed_ you, I _want_ you!" he heatedly muttered against her warm, smooth skin. Meanwhile his hands began to caress and explore her curves as he ardently suggested, "Please let me show you how much."

Hearing the outpouring of Justin's passion for her nearly did the young woman in. His feathery kisses had her moaning for him. Although she was still determined to see her plan through, she was quickly being led astray by her body's awakening needs. The sensation of her lover's supple lips on her skin after so long had inadvertently set her entire being on fire. She wanted him, badly.

And yet she found herself struggling to not enjoy the feeling of his hot, moist mouth gliding closer and closer to her needy vulva. Alex knew that she had to act quickly before things got out of hand. So she did the only thing she could think of to bring an end to Justin's sweet seduction. Swiftly, she clamped her supple thighs around his head, effectively trapping him between her legs just inches from her sex.

"HEY!" he indignantly cried out as lust quickly fizzled out and humiliation set in.

As Father Russo struggled to get away, Alex hastily tightened her vise grip on her victim. "Like I said, Justin -_not so fast_!" she chastised him between clenched teeth. "You need to listen to what I have to say and then you can do _whatever_ you want to me, understood?"

"Yes, yes...understood! Can you let go of me now? I can't breath!" he pathetically begged.

Satisfied by Justin's compliance, Alexandra gradually released him.

"What's gotten into you?" Justin demanded to know, completely red-faced from the momentary lack of oxygen.

Alexandra paid him no mind as she snapped her legs closed, cutting off all access to her vagina. Next, she sat up on the flat surface of the dressing table to casually lean back on her elbows . She then peered at the dumbstruck priest as she gave him her ultimatum. "What's gotten into me is that I'm _sick_ and_ tired _of this situation."

Now Justin was really confused. As he rose to feet, he wondered what in the world was she yammering about this time. "Excuse me for asking, but what do you mean by '_this situation'_?"

Smirking evilly, Alex let him have it. "This is the last time you will ever see me. Consider this my notice."

"What are you saying? You're not quitting your job are you?" Father Russo cautiously inquired, hoping against hope that that was all she meant.

"Not just the job, I'm quitting _you _too. I can't do this anymore, Justin. I can't spend the rest of my life waiting for you make up your mind. So I'm doing it for you. You see there's a reason why I haven't been puttin' out like I was before. I had to take some time for myself, think things though, you know? I needed to figure out what I was getting out of this so-called 'relationship'. And you know what I came up with?"

Father Russo's vexation and fear grew with every word she uttered. He knew she had been frustrated by his continued indecision. But certainly it wasn't enough to give her cause to break things off with him so abruptly? Besides they loved each other, damn it. Why would she want to throw it all way after _everything_ they've been through just to be together?

Soon enough, all the answers to his burning questions impacted him like swift kick to the groin.

"_Zilch, bupkus, nada_...that's what!" Alex shouted as she replied to her own query with a sneer.

Shocked by her assertions, Justin tried to reach for her in a gesture of reassurance. He wanted nothing more than to refute her claims by pledging his undying devotion. "That's not true. You know how I feel about you, my love."

However, before he could lay a hand on her, she had swerved to the right, avoiding his touch altogether. Alex then leveled a cold gaze at the beleaguered man standing before her as she nastily unleashed three-years of stored up vitriol at him.

"Do I Justin? You _say_ you love me and I sure as hell want to believe you. I want to believe every promise you've ever made me these last three years. But here we are, still stuck in the same place we were when this whole thing got started! I thought by now we'd be married, living our lives together. But as time's gone by I've realized that you're _never_ gonna leave the Church. And I was a _fool _to think you ever would."

Heartbroken by her harsh declarations, the dejected clergyman tried to salvage a love that was quickly coming apart at the seams. "Alexandra, sweetheart..._please_," he pleaded with her. "I just need a little more time..."

"Time?" she asked indignantly as her carefully plucked eyebrows nearly reached her hairline.

"You got some nerve, _Padre! _Don't you think you've had plenty time to make up your mind? Three years is a long stretch to decide what you want. Well, I'm tired of watching you give all of your devotion to your precious Church while I get nothing but the crumbs you feel fit to give me."

"I'm not going to stick around anymore so you can keep on playing the part of the perfect little priest by day while you use me as your own personal amusement park at night. I'm through being your _whore_!"

It was Justin's turn now to express his affronted surprise when his bushy brows suddenly shot up. This time when he extended his hands he was able to place them on her pale, bare shoulders before she could protest. He then shook the incensed young woman (gripping the supple flesh a little more tightly than he meant to) as he tried his best to get her to listen to reason.

"Are you _crazy_? What's gotten into you? How could you even think that? You are NOT my whore. You mean _everything_ to me, Alex. Can't you see that?"

"Let go of me, you moron!" Alexandra demanded as she struggled to get away from Justin. After a few moments of grappling back and forth, she finally managed to push the much heavier man off of her.

Livid beyond reason, she spat out at him with all the rage of a hell cat. "Those are just words, _padre!_ And in my book _actions _speak louder than _meaningless_, _stupid_ words! So guess what, buster? I decided to take some action of my own."

Fighting the urge to touch her again, Father Russo forced his hands to stay at his sides as he felt a bolt of ice cold trepidation run down his spine. "Alex...what are you saying?" he asked meekly, fearing the answer that she might give him.

Sensing his apprehension, she smiled in triumph as she gave her devastating reply. "You see, while you've been making empty promises about wedding bells and white picket fences, I had the sense to contact my old friend Stevie a couple of weeks ago. I won't bore you with the details except to say that we got to talkin'. And it wasn't long before she mentioned this Italian hotel owner named Gerardo Rossini and how he's looking to hire somebody for this cushy secretary's job in some swank Miami resort."

"Anyway, she thought I'd be perfect for it, so she gave me his number. After thinking about it long and hard, I gave the guy a call. He sounded really nice over the phone when he explained what he was looking for. Of course when I told him I had plenty of experience as a secretary, he said he wanted to come to New York to meet me."

"Personally, I thought it was a lot a trouble. But _Jerry_ said- oh yeah, did I mention he likes everyone to call him that? Anyway, he said that he still has business ties here, something about his uncle, Vito being the olive oil business, so he arranged to meet me for lunch the next time he flew into the Big Apple. And guess what? We had lunch and we hit it off right away! Next thing I know he offers me the job right on the spot and to pay my moving expenses! Of course I have to move to Miami... but who could say 'no' to 365 days of sunshine? Besides, Jerry's gonna pay me a great salary, enough for me to get a place of my own, like I always wanted."

"I don't believe this," Father Russo skeptically stated. As he stared Alexandra down with wide-eyed incredulity he continued to exclaim, "_Miami_? You can't be serious, Alex! You don't know anyone down there. Who would look out for you? Who would take care of you?"

"That's just it, Justin. What's really tying me here to New York?" Alexandra angrily asked as she jumped off the table. Crossing her arms in front of her she fired off the reasons behind her decision." I ain't got no family. My best friend, Harper has her own life taking care of her husband, Zeke. And you have your Church. So where does that leave me? In No Where's-Ville, that's where! So after today, I'm _gone_. My train leaves first thing in the morning."

It was Justin's turn now to burst into a fit of rage. In one fell swoop he closed the gap between him and the woman that had made his life a living hell. Roughly, he grabbed her delicate shoulders again as he savagely yanked her small body toward his. He then shouted, "What are you trying to do to me? You _seduce_ me, make me break _every_ vow I've ever taken and now you're going to leave me to work for some oily hotelier that you know _nothing_ about! Your life is here..In New York...With me. You're not going anywhere, Alexandra and that's final!"

Seeing the wounded expression on her lover's face nearly tore her heart in two. And it took every ounce of self control that Alex possessed not to cave in right then and confess to Justin that she was playing him like a fiddle, manipulating his emotions for the greater good. She knew deep down that she was causing him pain and taking a huge gamble in the process.

What if after everything was said and done, she lost him anyway? What if Justin decided to cling even more fiercely to his faith instead of following his heart? The stakes were high indeed but as her_ Abuelita _Maggie had always told her before she died, "Anything worth having is worth the risk, _mija_."

Remembering those exact words, Alexandra Grayback steeled her resolve to give Justin Russo a couple of heaping doses of his own bitter medicine so that he could finally open his eyes to the truth. Consequently, she kept up the act, like the consummate actress she knew she could be, praying the whole time that her hare-brained scheme wouldn't blow up in her face.

"Get your meat-hooks off me!" she yelled back as she shrugged his large hands off her shoulders. As she stood back, she called on her powers of persuasion to convince the harried priest that she meant business. "Look,_ Padre_. For three years now you've strung me along while you got to have your cake and eat it too. Well, guess what, Buster Brown? Dessert's off the menu!"

Anguished and heartbroken, Justin tried to take her in his arms. But in his haste, she managed to evade his embrace. "Alexandra, _Alex_...," he begged her desperately. "We've talked about this, my love- many times. You know it's not that easy for me to leave the -"

"-_fucking _priesthood," she finished for him, spitting out the words like a bad taste in her mouth.

From behind her carefully crafted mask of indifference, Alex quickly took noticed at the way Justin winced as she lashed out at him with pent up rage. Secretly, she felt terrible about her actions. However, she had to maintain the charade just a little bit longer so that victory could be assured.

"It's the same old song and dance with you, isn't _Father _Russo?" she snarled his hated religious title with feigned disgust. Shockingly, Alexandra then took things to a new low when she cruelly began to mock him, no-holds- barred. " '_Just give me some time, Alex'_," she nastily jeered. "Or how about, '_The Archbishop needs me'_? That's my personal favorite. By the way, that promotion didn't quite pan out for ya, did it?"

_Ouch! That hit below the belt_. She could tell it was a low blow by the stricken expression on Justin's face. His eyes were already filled with unshed tears of anguish. And Alexandra's guilty conscience began to gnaw at her insides as she observed how the heavy saline droplets were threatening to breach the levy of Justin's eyelids and overflow at any given time.

"Stop it, Alexandra! This isn't you. Why are you being like this?" Father Russo tearfully made his demands as he futilely tried to make sense of it all.

Meanwhile, the young war widow's exterior defenses held strong -the impassive expression on her face gave nothing away. Yet, despite the emotional turmoil she was causing, Alexandra knew that the dangerous game she was playing was almost over as she moved the final pieces into place.

_Good, I've got the mouse right where I want him, _she thought to herself_, now it's time to spring the trap_...

"What did you expect, Justin? To keep waiting for you until I'm too old and gray to be wanted by somebody else? You may have had your whole life mapped out. But I got plans too. I wanna see the world and get my kicks while I'm still young. So just fuck me for old times sake and then let me go, so I can really start livin'!"

Father Russo was so utterly blind-sided by Alexandra's diatribe, that for a few moments he just stood there, staring blankly at her, completely at a loss for words. Was her willingness to move on to a new life without him a direct by-product of his inability to make a choice?

Evidently, it was.

In the back of Justin's mind he had always known that being of two minds on the subject would eventually lead to abject heartbreak. And yet, he had persisted to keep his indeterminate stance, cowardly hiding behind a false sense of neutrality while he tried finding a resolution to his quandary. Sadly, he had never taken into account that Alexandra would work to find a solution on her own terms - by leaving him.

The very knowledge of that fact hit him like a solid punch in the gut. As a result, a numbing desolation immediately took hold, encasing his entire body in an icy sepulcher. He had driven her away with his selfishness and indecisiveness.

Is this what their three-year love affair had boiled down to? A few hateful words followed by a hasty exchange of bodily fluids and then what? Was this really good-bye?

_This can't be the end! I won't let it be. If I have to tie her down to keep Alex from going, then by God, I will!_

Yet, as these rampant thoughts ran through his head, Justin remained paralyzed, frozen in place like the saints' statues that graced the antechamber of his church. The time had come. He could no longer stand at the crossroads. A path had to be chosen, _his_ path and to hell with the consequences. But as he mentally took those first tentative steps toward an uncertain future, his disbelieving eyes watched as Alexandra reach for her clothes. And that's when he was struck by a white-hot bolt of indignant rage.

"NO!" Father Russo bellowed as he finally sprung into action. It only took two long strides before he was upon her. He then used the superior weight of his hard muscular body, trapping the lithe Alexandra against the edge of the _sacristycredens_, effectively cutting off any means of escape. Next, Justin viciously threaded his fingers through her long hair, taking firm hold of her curls to keep her from slipping away from him.

Meanwhile, his aquamarine eyes became hard and unforgiving as they intently peered into Alex's startled brown orbs. When she tried to turn away from that soul-piercing glare, he cruelly tightened the grip on her thick tresses, forcing her to look at him.

"_Not so fast, Alex!"_ Justin 's smile was ghastly and cruel as he regurgitated her words right back at her. "If you think you're leaving this room, then you're crazy. You're mine, do you hear me? _MINE!_ And you're not going anywhere without me!"

During the entire ordeal, Alexandra Grayback appeared outwardly frightened yet, on the inside she felt nothing but calm. And the little shiver that went up her spine wasn't born out of fear. On the contrary, it was caused by expectant euphoria-because at long last Justin was at the tipping point. He just needed one more nudge to make him fall over to _her _side.

Summoning all of her powers for trickery, her face was the epitome of stoicism as she laid down the gauntlet. Rather serenely she proposed, "Then _choose_, Justin. It's either me..."

Then as she paused for dramatic effect, Alex pointed a damning finger towards the enormous life-like crucifix that hung right above the porcelain _piscina _as she stated with finality, "...or Him."

This was it, the moment of truth...

oOo

As Father Justin Russo turned a wary eye towards the representation of the crucified Christ, his hold on Alex suddenly went slack at his eyes grew soft. Shockingly, for the first time in his life he wasn't moved by the iconic image. And it was in that moment of perfect clarity that he saw the religious relic for it was -a statue, an unfeeling_ idol _fashioned from plaster and wood, nothing more. There was no love emanating from its lifeless eyes and inside its hollow chest lacked the emotion generated from a beating human heart. It was a dead and useless thing that no longer gave him comfort or peace.

Had he lost his faith? Perhaps to some extent. However, in the span of just these few seconds, Father Russo had discovered that the God that _he_ believed in did not reside within these walls- perhaps He never did. Justin, infused with a new-found awareness, was now certain that an entity as intangible, infinite and _omnipresent _as The Holy Spirit, could not be confined to any man-made structure where empty rituals took place.

Furthermore, he was astounded by another realization - God's _true_ message was not in the contradictory accounts written _decades_ after Jesus' death on the Cross by flawed men with fading memories. To Justin, the Gospels were now meaningless words on a page and further proof that God's presence had always been elsewhere.

Evidence of His divine existence could be seen everywhere - from the petals of the most delicate flower to the breathtaking beauty found in the glorious colors of a sunset. Sadly, his dogmatic beliefs had blinded him to that fact...until now. And in the next instant, a second and greater epiphany took place when Justin realized that he wanted to experience the splendor of God's creation outside of this place and with the one person that meant the world to him.

With that final thought firmly implanted into his brain, Justin Vincenzo Pepe Russo cast an adoring gaze upon the woman that had utterly shattered any semblance of the dull, subservient and falsely complacent life he had known before. He finally understood what had happened to him and how his wily Alexandra had changed his perceptions on faith, life and most importantly..._love_. Yes, his girl was a devious yet clever minx. However, he knew that her heart, God bless her, was always in the right place. As a sense of utter relief washed over him, he came to the startling realization that his heart and mind were reconciled at last.

A fresh set of tears sprung in Father Russo's eyes as he decisively uttered the words that Alexandra had longed to hear. "Alex, I choose_ you_."

Alexandra gasped when she heard his emotional declaration but said nothing in return. Warm, salty tears had already welled up in her chocolate brown eyes and were now flowing down the slopes of her cheeks. Yet, she couldn't stop the smile of pure happiness from parting her trembling lips as she continued to listen intently to everything Justin had to say.

"I don't want to spend another day, hour or minute without you," he continued to proclaim as he grasped her delicate hands in his. "I want to marry you, have children with you, and if God wills it, grow old with you and die in your arms. I'm just so sorry, my love that it's taken me this long to realize it. Can you forgive me?"

Alexandra smiled even more broadly, quickly discarding all pretense of anger as she released his hands so she could rush into his waiting arms. Wrapping herself around Justin's body like an agile Capuchin monkey, the elated girl started peppering his face with a flurry of kisses, marring his skin with her bright red lip stick.

"Of course of forgive you!" she said breathlessly as her limbs found purchase against the rock solid form of her lover. "I _love_ you, you dork!"

Justin in turn placed his own arms around the squirming girl currently attacking his face and neck with her soft, pillowy lips. He began to laugh wholeheartedly as he felt an indescribable joy suddenly inundate his soul, filling every part him. He had never before experienced such a life-affirming and uplifting sensation yet he thanked God in heaven that it was happening to him now.

And as the shackles of shame and repression fell away, there was a new-found lightness in the clergyman's heart as it took its first winged flight of freedom. Finally, he felt bold enough to break away from the autocratic oppression of the Church and renounce its teachings.

Suddenly feeling enlightened and acutely aware, Justin now firmly believed that the very nature of the Scripture he had so diligently studied for so many years had been nothing more than the carefully selected narratives of long dead prophets re-imagined to collectively subjugate and control the unruly masses. He could see the truth so clearly- the Bible that he had clung to so fiercely had been scribed by greedy megalomaniacs -imperfect and sinful men that forcibly established the Church as an all-powerful governing entity, an enduring institution usurping and wielding God's authority on earth to topple kings and raze entire nations by papal decree.

Now that the disillusioned priest's eyes had finally been open, he came to the startling conclusion that the entire voluminous text, from the first book of Genesis to the apocalyptic passages of Revelations, had been no more divinely inspired than an issue of _Mad _magazine.

Infused by the undeniable truth, Justin felt empowered - finally, he had been granted the _freedom_ to believe as he wanted and live the life his Creator had imparted unto him on his own terms. He was a giddy as a school boy as he pondered all the possibilities he wished to explore. He could barely fathom the fact that he could now love whomever he wanted without any fear or recriminations. And while the idea of emotional liberation appeared to be a daunting one, it was still a _wondrous_ feeling to experience. Thus, he felt compelled to urgently express his emancipation in a manner most befitting the momentous occasion.

"I love you, Alexandra...forever and always." With that having been said, Justin's head swiftly swooped down like a bird of prey, so that his hungry mouth could passionately ravage Alex's quivering lips. He attacked without mercy. As his fingers entangled themselves within her thick, dark mane, his lips, teeth and tongue gave her no quarter, no place to hide from the havoc he was wrecking upon her mind and senses. He wanted to devour her, swallow her whole and make her a part of him, so that he could carry her always inside of him.

Alexandra, usually not one to concede on anything, completely surrendered to Justin's dominion over her body. The young woman sighed with contentment as he continued to lay claim to her very soul with his kisses. She then felt the touch of his roaming hands, _everywhere. _Her breasts, stomach, thighs, and buttocks were being lovingly caressed and adored. However, when his fingers brushed against the juncture of her hot, wet center, an inferno of lust ignited low in her belly before it spread outward, sending liquid fire to course through her veins. Then a sense heady euphoria overwhelmed her the moment her attentive lover began to stroke her folds in that thrumming, timeless rhythm known only to them.

"_Oh, Jusssssstin!"_ Alex suddenly threw her head back, dragging his name out in one long sensuous hiss. As he continued slide his now slippery fingers up and down her slit, her hands quickly anchored themselves on the slopes of his well-defined shoulders. Relishing the feel of the rippling muscles just beneath his taut skin, she mewled contentedly before emitting a high-pitch squeal of delight when one of the tapered digits lightly grazed her hypersensitive clitoris.

Pleased by her immediate reaction, Justin quickly honed in on the little bundle of engorged flesh and proceeded to rub and pinch it with practiced skill. Meanwhile, he used his other hand to maneuver a flimsy, thin spaghetti strap off the delicate curve of a single shoulder. Slowly it went, down her arm until the creamy roundness of her left breast was revealed. The dusky nipple that adorned the ample mound's summit was puckered, taut and pointed straight out as if beckoning Justin to latch his watering mouth upon it and suckle to his heart's content.

Heeding the unspoken invitation, that is precisely what he did when his mouth eagerly blazed a hot, wet trail that began at the sensitive spot where her shoulder met her neck. He then anointed the skin over her collarbones with possessive open-mouthed kisses which earned him several breathy moans of approval from his lover. Needing no further encouragement, Justin continued to drag his lips and tongue downward, kissing and licking between the valley of Alex's breasts, leaving behind a shiny sheen of saliva in his wake.

Then_ finally_, after what seemed like an eternity for both of them, he was just inches away from claiming the stiff peak that had been crying out for his ardent attention. Not wanting to waste anymore time, he savagely descended upon it, hungrily engulfing waiting nipple and most of her breast into the wide expanse of his oral cavity.

But as gluttonous as Justin was for her flesh, he discovered the physical limitations to his voracious appetite. There was no way he could fit the whole of Alex's voluptuousness into his mouth, so he settled on attacking her nipple instead- wildly laving and sucking on it at different intervals, while he increased the speed of his fingers on her clit.

The feeling of being simultaneously stimulated was an extremely intense one and it almost proved too much for Alex. And yet, her back still arched as she willingly yielded to the electrifying sensations brought on by the powerful suction of Justin's mouth and the unrelenting friction of his extremely skilled fingers. As her toes curled and her mouth went slack, her hands started to maul his strong shoulders, fingernails digging into the exposed skin. She then ran her fingers atop his bulging biceps, demonstrating a deep appreciation for the muscular definition of his upper arms with a groan.

It wasn't long however before Alexandra's feathery touches traveled upward, moving past his shoulders then across the expanse of Justin's broad chest. She then commenced to draw lazy circular patterns on the hardened pectoral muscles, deliberately circumventing the flat brown disks that were aching some attention.

After a few moments of teasingly torturous caresses, she finally took pity on him by slowly dragging the sharp edge of a long, red-painted fingernail over a sensitive nipple. When the stimulated nodule became taut and erect, she tweaked it between her thumb and forefinger, tugging and pulling until the desired affect was achieved- she smiled wickedly when her lover's moans of pleasure reached her ears. Yet, she was far from satisfied by the resonance of Justin's lustful melody.

Justin grunted then moaned, clearly inflamed by Alex's attentions. His penis meanwhile, had become painfully engorged with blood, pre-cum seeping from the very tip of it. And as his excitement grew, the rock-hard organ throbbed and ached with need as it threatened to burst out of the pants that barely contained it. Driven by unbridled passion, he continued to express his all-consuming desire for the woman before him, unashamedly and without inhibition. Finally free of the constraints put upon him for so long, he had been transformed into a creature of feeling and want. And his only concern now was the ardent pursuit of pleasure - demonstrating great zeal in giving and receiving it in return.

Ravenously, the disgraced Jesuit continued to noisily suckle on Alexandra's saliva-coated breasts- irrefutable proof that his hunger for Alexandra's flesh had not been abated by any means. At the same time, aided by the slickness of her feminine secretions, he unceasingly stroked up and down, then in and out of her folds, probing and exploring, until two of his fingers effortlessly slipped inside her warm, tight walls.

Like a man possessed, Justin immediately stretched the constrictive recesses of the vaginal passage by plunging the rigid appendages even deeper, luxuriating in the snugness of her tight little pussy while his thumb once again desperately sought out the small bundle of hyper-sensitive nerves. Once he found it, he smashed the pad of his thumb flat against the aroused protuberance and began to rub it in earnest.

Alexandra's eyelids slid closed as she loudly gasped, "_Oh, God!" _ Wantonly, the young woman threw her head back, waves of long, dark hair cascaded behind her. With each masterful stroke, Justin was driving her closer and closer to the brink of ecstasy. She could already feel the advent of her release, coiling tight and low within her belly. Then as her legs began to shake and spasm from the effort of staying upright, she found herself panting for each precious breath.

She wanted to cum so badly, it hurt. However, she couldn't allow the sweet relief of orgasm overtake her just yet. Alex needed to feel Justin's hardened length deep inside her, stretching her walls and filling her completely. Only then would she succumb and ride out the tremulous shockwaves brought on by the climax that awaited her.

"_Inside_..." Alex whispered hotly . When Justin seemed to pay her no mind, she re-asserted her demands with a high-pitched whine. "I _need_ you, Justin...inside of me- _NOW_!" She left no doubt regarding her intentions when she hurriedly reached down and firmly cupped him through the front of his pants.

Justin had been reluctant to relinquish the breasts he had been feasting on. However, the feeling of Alex's hand squeezing his imprisoned cock caused him to growl as he gave her his full attention. When he raised his hooded eyes and found her smoldering stare intently peering back at him he nearly he gasped. The pure lust he saw burning within her molten chocolate pools nearly outmatched his own.

Seeing her like this, with her hair unbound and wild, skin flushed and breasts wet and glistening from his nursing on them so thirstily, nearly made him ejaculate right then. However, it was the sight of her swollen, blood-red lips, begging to be claimed that made him so unrestrained and shameless. Wanting desperately to taste her mouth again, the amorous clergyman tried to lean in for another voracious kiss. His efforts were thwarted though by the small hand that had been placed upon his chest which prevented him from going any further.

As Justin cocked his head to the side, his eyes silently questioned his lover.

Alexandra, understanding the unspoken query, gave him her blatant answer. Suddenly, the fingers of her opposite hand slipped through his dark, messy hair, gripping it tightly. Roughly, she pulled on one stray tuft as she demanded of him, "I don't want kisses right now. I just want your _big_, _fat_ cock inside of my pussy. Give it to me, Justin- _hard and fast_."

The directive was clear and he was compelled to obey...

oOo

In spite of Justin's puritanical sensibilities, hearing such a tiny, delicate girl like Alexandra use such filthy language always brought out the animal in him. And this time had been no exception. Driven by his most primal instincts, he quickly unbuckled his belt and shucked his pants off. His white cotton boxers soon followed which left the priest as naked as a jaybird save for his black nylon socks still on his feet. Not bothering to remove them, he honed in on Alex again.

Suddenly, he effortlessly lifted her by the waist with both of his strong hands. Then, with a manly grunt, he roughly slammed her bare rear-end onto the dressing table. Afterward, he grabbed her by the hips, dragging her to the very edge until her ass was nearly teetering at the precipice overlooking the floor. Lastly, he moved swiftly, placing himself at the apex of her spread legs. One large hand had been splayed across her back as he held her close, to keep her from falling. The fingers of his other hand wrapped around his hard length, shifting the organ into position at her entrance.

Although Justin's feat of strength had been an effortless one, since Alex weighed next to nothing, that didn't stop her from squealing with delight. She loved it whenever she was able to draw out Justin's inner caveman. The idea of his straight-laced persona transforming itself into a being so possessive and feral only added to her anticipation and heightened her pleasure. And now as she lay open for him, her cunt wet and dripping, she was fully prepared to receive and be filled by every inch of his steely manhood.

Casting a fearless gaze upon her lover, Alexandra she shamelessly begged for him, "Take me, Justin. _Please_, take me. I can't wait anymore, baby!"

Needing no further encouragement, Justin grunted and growled behind clenched teeth as his pulsating member suddenly breached her tight, wet opening in one powerful thrust, thus finally putting an end to her lustful yearning. The initial intrusion, aided by the natural lubrication still being produced by both of their bodies, allowed Justin to sink deeper into Alex's moist heat than he had originally intended. It didn't matter though...her vaginal walls still felt incredibly tight as they viciously clamped down on his cock.

The extreme pleasure he experienced right then was nearly akin to pain and felt just as excruciating. And for the briefest of moments the priest-turned-sinner had stopped breathing as he suspended all movement out of fear that his bliss would end too soon. Acutely aware that weeks without Alexandra had affected his usual stamina, Father Russo needed to pace himself or their coupling would be over be it had begun.

Closing his eyes, he let out a guttural groan as he savored the sensation of being back inside her after so long. Alex's womanhood was as hot as furnace and felt so, so good around his throbbing length. Feeling the intensity of her heat engulfing him tested the limits of the corrupted cleric's sanity. Overwhelmed by the need to thrust forward, Justin resisted pounding her into oblivion just yet. Thankfully, from somewhere deep inside him, he managed to harness just enough willpower to hold out a little longer until the urgency for a quick release had subsided.

However, a very _aroused _and equally _frustrated_ Alex had other ideas. She needed Justin to _move_ -NOW.

The young woman just wouldn't be satisfied until she attained the delicious friction she craved so desperately. Suddenly, the fingers that had been caressing his torso wove their way into his matted down hair as Alexandra's long red lacquered nails scraped the surface of her lover's scalp. Meanwhile, her smooth, shapely legs tightly wrapped themselves around his narrow waist. Next, she dug the heels of her feet into the small of his back and pushed -_hard. _All the while her angel's face bore the most salacious of smiles which explicitly broadcast her darkest desires.

Justin gasped and his eyes flew open as he felt himself slip even further into Alex's greedy core. Quickly, he glanced down to watch how his flesh disappeared into hers and groaned at the sight of it. He then looked up into her smoldering eyes and was immediately overwhelmed by what he saw. Yes, the flames of damnation were burning hot and bright within her smoldering gaze. And yet, those beloved orbs held _something else _that was even more luminous and pure.

_Love_ is what he saw...honest-to goodness love, unwavering and everlasting. It was a sentiment so powerful, its brilliance easily outshined the carnal passions still simmering away on the back burner. And as the degraded priest beheld its beauty, his heart leapt because of it. To see his feelings returned to him ten-fold was in a word - _miraculous_. And he was truly in awe of this phenomenon which could have only come from one divine source. Humbled by the realization that his life had indeed been touched by the hand of God, Justin for a fleeting moment, almost felt unworthy of such grace.

And yet, the fallen Jesuit was thankful for the joy and freedom he was experiencing and he wished to convey his feelings the only way he knew how. Slowly, he closed his eyes, leaning in to slant his mouth over hers. Then just before their lips touched, Justin fervently whispered, "Thank you for loving me."

Suddenly overcome by the emotional declaration, Alex's breath hitched right before it was stolen from her with a rapacious kiss. While Justin made quick work to devour her luscious lips with everything he had, Alexandra wholly surrendered to his will. After all, she was his, body and soul, to do as he pleased.

But more importantly, he was now completely, unreservedly and unequivocally hers too. _Finally._

Her eyes fluttered closed as she and Justin took pleasure from one another their mouths opened and tongues entwined. The lovers were now locked in a fierce battle for dominance as each tried to outdo the other in frequency and technique. And as the passion between them quickly escalated, Alexandra moaned in need as her hips began to undulate of their accord and then abruptly push forward, silently urging Justin to do the same.

Thankfully, Justin received the unspoken message and responded in kind with a few shallow thrusts of his own. However, he purposely restrained the true force of his lust, thus repaying the little minx for all the times she had teased him unmercifully. Especially these past few weeks when she had left him so_ desperate _and _wanting_. Thank heavens she had finally granted him a reprieve at last from his forced abstinence. And just in the nick of time, since he was starting to develop calluses from stroking his member so much.

It was all the more reason to keep up the retaliation. And after another series of half-hearted pumps, a sense of triumph swelled in his chest as he witnessed the flicker of frustration slowly emerging from the pit of her eyes. The woman lying beneath him however, countered his lack of action by sensuously gyrating her pelvis, slowly grinding her wet sex against him...just the way he liked.

_Dear sweet merciful Jesus, _he mentally groaned_._

The limits of his own desire were certainly being tested as Father Russo was systematically driven out of his gourd. Still, he had the presence of mind to take one final teasing jab at Alex before completely succumbing to her willful whims. Gazing upon the little vixen, a playful smirk sensuously etched across his handsome features as he cockily asked, "Anxious, aren't we?"

Alexandra growled her response like a she-wolf in heat. "You have _no_ idea. Now move that ass of yours, if you know what's good for you!" Then in a sudden harsh motion, she twisted her hips sharply to bring her point across.

Justin had only laughed in the face of her desperation. Yet, the moment he felt the agitated movements of Alex's pelvis, the exemplary restraint he had demonstrated until now was fast becoming a thing of the past. Churning from deep within the recesses of his belly, the voracious need started to claw its way back from where it had been banished. Unbridled and rampant, his lust knew no bounds.

And Justin knew of only one way to appease such a demanding beast.

Ever so slowly, he withdrew from Alexandra's clinging walls until his painful erection was nearly unsheathed. She protested his retreat with a whimper as her greedy little hands tried to grab onto his hips. However, Justin deftly thwarted her efforts by tightly cuffing her wrists within his hands as he continued to disengage.

Although he was deliberately breaking their connection, the loss of her heat was mourned nonetheless, especially when the cool air being circulated by oscillating electric fan lightly kissed his sweltering flesh. However, Father Russo continued to ignore Alexandra's mewling complaints as he focused all of his concentration to the task at hand. His rigid member was now positioned just outside the opening of Alexandra's warm center. And as the organ twitched with anticipation, its owner cast a smoldering gaze upon the woman writhing against him.

Then without warning, Father Russo's left hand relinquished his hold on one of her joints while the right appendage kept the other wrist imprisoned . He then wove the fingers of his free hand into her thick, untamed tresses, until he had a fistful of the fragrant locks within his grasp. Justin then tugged on the hair, effectively pulling Alexandra's face closer toward his.

Alex gasped, clearly surprised by the bold move. And yet, her excitement increased when she saw the hungry intent burning in Justin's sea-green irises.

Meanwhile, the clergyman leaned in to harshly whisper in her ear, "You want me to _fuck_ you, Alex?"

The moment the question was put to her, Alex's mouth went dry. Rarely did Justin resort to profanity, even under the direst of circumstances. Usually, the well-mannered priest preferred to express his ire or enthusiasm with more benign expletives such as "shoot", "darn" or the queen mother of all faux-cusses - "fudge".

Don't her wrong -Alexandra was all for good manners and such, when the occasion called for it. But in all honesty, sometimes Justin's chronic respectability really chapped her ass.

But now...as unbelievable as it may have seemed, her fussbudget, straight-laced lover had dropped an honest-to-goodness F-bomb which sent her already stimulated senses into overdrive. Just hearing his deliciously raspy voice utter that single naughty word as his hot breath fanned over her face caused her insides to flutter madly.

Alex's arousal was at its zenith-she could feel its narcotic affects burning through every corpuscle coursing through her veins while her nerve endings became hypersensitive. Every part of her body tingled with anticipation- just thinking about what Justin's fingers, mouth and cock could do to her at any given moment nearly set her off.

And as she labored for each blessed breath, it became abundantly clear that she was wholly overwhelmed by this man- _her man_, who's looming presence overshadowed _everything,_ thus robbing her of her ability to speak.

Mistaking Alexandra's momentary silence for defiance, Justin scowled as he tugged her hair harder, forcing her head to bend until the curve of her neck was inches away from his mouth. At this close range he could see that a light sheen of sweat had developed upon her silky skin.

Shockingly, he longed to taste it.

With all of his inhibitions gone, he no longer wished to deprive himself of anything she had to offer. Thus, he lowered his lips to her neck, just above her beating pulse. Then in an astonishing move, he opened his mouth to run his long, wet tongue up the length of her throat, then sensuously licked the side of her face until the very tip of it flicked at the delicate shell of her ear.

"I asked you a question, Alex," he rasped again before his teeth latched onto a sensitive earlobe and pulled. Then quite deliberately, he alternated between biting and laving the soft little flap of flesh until he had her panting for him.

Next, Justin suddenly extracted his mouth to hotly ask, "Do you want me, baby? Do you want my _hard_, _throbbing_ dick inside of you? Oh, I_ know _you. I can_ smell _that sweet, juicy pussy of yours just dripping for me."

Alexandra couldn't take it anymore - his words, his voice were all too much to handle. Somehow, her own voice was suddenly restored to her. Seizing the opportunity to express her needs, she pleaded for mercy with a high-pitched whine, "Oh, God! Justin, please, baby, _pleeeeease_?"

Justin smirked in triumph- he was in the driver's seat now and he absolutely _loved _it when she begged for him. But it wasn't enough, he wanted _more_. "Please _what_, Alexandra? I'm afraid you're gonna have to tell me _exactly_ what you want or you won't get an inch of this cock." To illustrate his point, the emboldened priest rubbed the aforementioned member against her needy folds, teasing her.

"Now tell me, how bad do you want it?" Justin whispered to her hoping for a quick response to end both of their agonies. However, when she still stubbornly refused to answer him, the fallen man the cloth withdrew from the crook of her neck as he roared with rage, _"TELL ME, _you _bitch!" _

As Justin's blue-green eyes flashed in anger, Alexandra's entire body trembled as a result. It was as if her flesh had been unexpectedly struck with the sharp crack of a whip. And as she continued to writhe and tremble in the face of her lover's wrath, her mind raced with errant thoughts.

_Good Lord, Justin is just full of surprises today. But I think I might have created a monster_...

Indeed, the gentle lover that had only concerned himself with her needs in times past was no more. The thoughtful, caring man had definitely been usurped by some untamed spirit that thrived on sin and lust alone. In fact, the metamorphosis had been so drastic, Alexandra barely recognized the man who stood before her. This person, who was far a far cry from the timidly awkward clergyman, exuded nothing but roguish confidence and testosterone fueled aggression -an alpha-male in every sense.

And it was this primal masculinity which spoke directly to the primitive female that resided inside of Alex, silently commanding her innermost self to rise to the occasion. And that she did as evidenced by her physical reaction to the epithets that had fallen from his lips. She was surprised to say the least but pleasantly so by the utterance of so many obscenities. How many times had she begged Justin to talk dirty to her, to whisper all of his filthiest fantasies into her waiting ears? Too many to count. And yet the good Father's Catholic sensibilities had always prevented him from doing so...until now.

It was obvious to Alexandra Grayback that _something_ dark and dangerous had finally been unleashed from deep inside of wayward priest. She could see the rebellious manifestation of this change swimming within murky green depths of his eyes. And for just a fleeting moment, her heart clenched fearfully until seconds later the willful young woman found herself welcoming this new entity with open arms and open legs.

Wrapping her thin forearms around his neck, Alexandra drew herself closer to Justin's hard body. Then with a coy tilt of her head, her sultry gaze met her lover's intense stare head on. Once she had captured his rapt attention, the young woman suddenly threw her hips forward effectively crushing her sex against his. Next, she viciously gripped the back her lover's head.

When the long, elegant fingers burrowed themselves into his sweat drenched hair, Justin hissed as he felt her sharp nails scrape along his sensitive scalp. And yet his stare never wavered as his rapacious eyes continued to wordlessly demand Alex's answer.

Father Russo's unspoken question was soon replied to when the young war widow hungrily growled, "I want you to fuck me with _everything _you've got, do you understand? I want you to make me cum on your rock-hard cock over and over again! And don't you dare stop even if this table breaks in half, got it?"

In that instant Justin's lips split into a wide predatory grin-a jackal's smile. The rest of his expression however, was hard and determined as the green of his eyes remained fixed on his prey, boring a hole straight through her.

When he finally spoke, in the huskiest voice he could muster, Father Russo affirmed, "I read you loud and clear."

After placing his throbbing member at her opening, Justin swiftly drove it home with a heavy grunt effectively impaling Alexandra in the process. She gasped and he moaned with relief as he quickly surrendered to the sensation of being snugly bounded by her hot, moist channel.

_Six weeks...dear God, forty-two fucking days of being deprived of this_, his sex-starved mind suddenly cried out.

_Six weeks without her tight, wet pussy_. _A man can go mad being denied such a thing. _

Indeed, it had been far too long. And he refused to go another _six seconds _without giving his body what it desperately needed -_a good hard fuck_. In the next instant Justin Russo set out to carry out this objective. And with single-minded purpose he began to pound into Alex with long powerful thrusts that rocked her very core.

Meanwhile Alexandra, who was suddenly overpowered by her lover's show of possessive aggression, endeavored to hold onto Justin for dear life as best she could. His rough lovemaking had definitely caught her by surprise. Grant it, she had practically begged him to tenderize her like hamburger meat. Still...she didn't take into account his due diligence to execute her request with such _enthusiasm_.

Alex, barely able to conjure up a coherent thought still managed to have one fleeting observation- _God damn him! He's_ _such_ _an overachiever_,_ not that I'm complaining_.

Honestly, Justin's new-found fervor should have come as no surprise since he's always striven to do his best in all things, including screwing her into the furniture.

Not that she minded. She actually loved the way he was fucking her now, with such zeal and with the confidence of a man who knew _exactly_ he wanted, consequences be damned. Indeed, Justin had become a force to be reckoned with as evidenced by the vigorous way he repeatedly drove his dick inside her which caused her to writhe with pleasure.

"Oh, Justin!" Alexandra suddenly cried out when she felt his manhood graze a particularly sensitive spot near her cervix. When he hit it again, she violently threw her head back as her back arched at an impossible angle. Squeezing her eyes shut her full-lipped mouth unhinged in a silent scream.

Seeing her throat exposed and vulnerable, Justin found himself engulfed by another wave of lust. Quickly, he moved in to latch his hungry mouth onto the salty skin that he proceeded to bite, lick and suck with abandon. He wanted to mark Alex, brand her with his teeth so that everyone that looked upon her knew who she belonged to.

As he continued to ram into her his mouth alternated between asserting his ownership of her and murmuring sweet nothings against the abused flesh.

"_Mine, mine, mine_..." he recited to her with worshipful devotion.

"_Yours, yours, yours_..." she mindlessly affirmed as the advent of her release started to coil low and deep inside her womb. All the while, her vaginal walls snugly gripped his invading flesh.

Drops of perspiration were beaded across both of their brows as Justin's body began to feel the affects of his exertions. And yet he refused to give into the exhaustion slowly seeping into his limbs until he and Alexandra reached a thunderous crescendo together.

Setting his face in an expression of grim determination, he redoubled his efforts by pushing his body beyond its limits. In one savage motion, he gripped the well-formed calves of her legs, lifting them high into the air before settling them upon his muscular shoulders. At this new angle Alex's pelvis tilted upward this allowed his penis to plunge even deeper into her core.

Justin rocked his hips forward at a ferocious pace. Faster and harder he stroked- every thrust was accompanied by a laborious grunt. Sweat dripped from every pore while his muscles burned and his back ached. A part of him wanted to give into the fatigue so badly. But by Christ, he couldn't let up...not until the woman lying under him was ready follow him into the abyss.

Alex was panting for every breath as her body tensed and her toes curled. God, she was so close- she could feel how her climax was steadily building strength. Her goose pimpled skin felt incredibly hot and flushed, further signaling her of her approaching release.

"Baby, I'm almost there," she breathlessly announced as her fingernails viciously raked down Justin's broad back drawing blood in the process.

Justin winced when he felt the cuts and yet ignored the pain. The only thing that mattered to him was their mutual completion. Drawing away from Alexandra's neck he brought his gaze upon her flushed face. He adored the way her eyes were still closed in a sign of blissful surrender. However, the former priest would have nothing less than her full attention.

"Alexandra, look at me," he rasped under the strain of his pistoning body as his verdant gaze observed her slowly come apart in his arms.

Naturally, her inherent laziness kept her from heeding his call. Instead, Alexandra Grayback selfishly wanted to remain as she was- blind, deaf and dumb to everything around her except her own pursuit of pleasure. But her persistent lover wouldn't let her be.

So it was with great reluctance that her eyes finally fluttered open. Almost immediately, her breath hitched when she suddenly encountered a stormy sea of intense green staring straight into the very heart of her.

_Oh, God those eyes_, Alex thought as she marveled at the beauty and clarity of Justin's bejeweled orbs. His all-encompassing gaze held all of the love, passion and devotion he felt for her. And she had no choice but to be moved to tears by such a display of raw emotion.

As a lone crystalline tear rolled down her cheek she was compelled to whisper softly, "I love you, Justin Russo." The very second the words had tumbled from her lips she abruptly struck head-on by the most extreme orgasm of her young life.

Throwing her head back, she shouted, "_Oh, Justin!"_

Wave after wave of erotic bliss engulfed Alex as her entire body quaked and trembled. Every nerve ending became hypersensitive, especially the ones connected to her nipples and clitoris which only prolonged and enhanced her climax. The joy she felt at that moment seemed never-ending as galaxies upon galaxies of stars went super nova behind the lids of her closed eyes.

Overjoyed by her tearful declaration, Justin sensed that the moment of their shared release had finally arrived. "I love you too, baby," he hissed between gritted teeth. When he felt her walls swiftly clamp down on him his own orgasm was triggered. Soon enough hot white sticky jets of scalding semen erupted forth from his male organ, effectively coating the constricting canal clenching around it.

Shamelessly, he throatily moaned her name for all to hear until his voice became a raspy, croaking sound. His frantic pelvic thrusts continued for some moments more, though not with the same precision as before due the powerful throes that were electrifying his body. While his limbs flailed and convulsed the defrocked priest's features contorted to express the magnificent ecstasy coursing through his veins.

oOo

Eventually, when Justin's strength finally waned, he withdrew his softening cock before collapsing heavily atop Alexandra's spent body where he rested his weary head against her heaving bosom. And as he laid cradled in her arms, he tried to reign in his erratic breathing. The task proved difficult due to his exhaustion but Justin smiled nonetheless, content to keep his body entwined with hers as they basked in the afterglow that had quickly settled in.

Suddenly, Justin yawned against a pale breast as a feeling of sleepiness began to permeate every inch of him. As tired as he was, the listless priest was tempted to succumb to its affects, nearly falling into a deep slumber. However, he still had the presence of mind to know that the sacristy was not the ideal place for a cat nap. Lifting his head a little, he affectionately kissed the glistening skin above his lover's heart.

Smiling, he looked deeply into her half-lidded eyes, marveling in the knowledge that such a beautiful creature was his to love for the rest of his days. So much time had been wasted as he remained oblivious to the pain he had caused this woman. Filled with remorse, Justin felt the need to apologize for his selfish actions. Only then could they move forward to plot out a life together. However, before he could put his heartfelt contrition into words, the unexpected resonance another male's deep voice abruptly rang out with indignant anger and retribution.

"What in the name of St. Peter is going on here?" Justin winced the moment he heard the very shocked exclamation coming from none other than his superior, Archbishop Herschel Laritate.

_TBC..._

A/N: Okay, I know that it took me_ forever_ to write this. And for that I'm sorry. I could offer up a whole laundry list of excuses...but the truth is I don't have any. I've just been lazy about writing.

Anyway, I hope you enjoyed this final chapter. And for those of you still following this story please let me know by leaving a review.

The epilogue is up next. I don't know when it will be posted since I'm still in the process of writing it.


End file.
